Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: A Heart as Cold as Ice
by RemiScarlet58
Summary: After Giratina captures Arceus,he decides to raise a Champion for his Dark army. The most suitable candidate is a human girl named Formora.He senses the darkness in her heart,and sees her potential.Her ultimate task is to kill Arceus' own Champion.But no one knows who her enemy is... "Sequel" to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:Light in the Darkness. T for strong violence & mild language.
1. Prologue: The Decision

**Hello, and welcome to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: A Heart as Cold as Ice! This is an alternate retelling of my other story, PMD: Light in the Darkness. This time, the story will be told from the antagonist's perspective. Don't worry, this story will be mainly original content, with some overlap. Anyways, let us begin!**

* * *

 **Prologue: The Decision**

* * *

It was a most glorious day for the large, black and gray-striped Pokemon as he stared down his most hated enemy atop an ethereal tower. Around him, his Dark forces were busy finishing off the pathetic remnants of his foe's defense team as the tower shuddered and threatened to crumble.

The tower loomed a couple yards above the clouds. Down below, he could see all across the continent. The tower's floor was made of light gray bricks, the same color gray as the foe he was staring at this very moment. A three-foot wall a darker shade of gray surrounded the edge, preventing smaller Pokemon from toppling over to their deaths. At the northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest points of the circular spire, gold structures extended outwards. The structures were identical to the gold ring around his enemy's torso. On the east and west sides of the tower, two twenty-foot walls rose high into the atmosphere, where they fused in the middle to create some sort of shelter from the sun. He was much larger than the structure, but he didn't mind. He was flying in the air behind the tower, staring down at his foe from above.

" _I should have known_ you _would attempt something like this. Even after that first time you tried to overtake me all those years ago, you still have not learned your lesson_ ," his gray-and-gold foe spat, Its head shaking in indignation.

It was smaller than him, but inordinately more powerful. He would have to be careful, delicate. He had planned this coup for eons; it would not do to have all his hard work be for nothing.

" **It is the nature of darkness to seek out the light and crush it. I merely wish to bring a new era of glory to this world,** " he rumbled, stalling for time. His allies were still occupied with battle, and he would need their aid very soon.

" _You are mistaken. Light and Dark simply complement each other. Separate, they are indeed enemies, but together they bring balance to the universe, as they are intended to do. Cease this needless fighting. Is darkness truly the correct answer?_ " his enemy pleaded, looking up at him. He knew better than to believe It. He didn't miss the battle-ready stance his divine foe had shifted to.

" **Your type of balance is ruining the world! No, Your era of peace is over. It is time for peace to subside and evil to reign. You know I have my siblings on my side. They agree that peace has reigned for far too long. They, like me, hunger for the glory we rightly deserve!** " he shouted.

"… _I did not want it to come to this. But it seems I have no choice. You have sealed your fate, and this time your punishment will be much more severe._ "

Upon this declaration, It leaped swiftly and powerfully towards him. But he was ready. He disappeared into nothing a split second before his foe would have struck him. He rematerialized, albeit invisibly, a few yards in front of his enemy, who has skidded to a stop mid-air.

" _Show yourself, coward!_ " It yelled angrily as It wildly looked all around, parts of Its body turning purple in color.

 _Very well_ , he thought as he reappeared. His foe turned too late as he slammed into It with all his might, sending It sprawling across the floor of the tower.

" **Ghost? Hm. Interesting choice of strategy. No matter, I will be ending You shortly,** " he mused, more to himself than to his foe, as he summoned a pink ball of energy in front of his mouth. The ball was being charged with the might of dragons, and would soon rain all of its glory down onto his foe's head.

" _No you don't!_ " his foe snarled, sending out eighteen shards from Its body.

Seeing an opportunity, he unleashed the devastating attack, knocking all of the shards from their orbit around the now-fallen foe.

" **Ah, I see your lifeline has been severed from You. I will scatter each shard far and wide, one at a time, so You will suffer long and slowly, as You have done to me,** " he gloated, chuckling at his fortune. His foe could not survive without all eighteen shards, and would continue to weaken as long as It was separated from at least one shard.

Perfect.

He nudged all but one shard back to his fallen enemy. The shards were reabsorbed into Its body, and It began to stir, rising unsteadily. It started to charge a pink ball of light, but he gently—almost lovingly—placed a green dome of energy around it.

" **My Protect should keep You confined until Your weakness catches up with You. And even if You break free, I will have my followers pummel You back into submission. Accept Your fate, my friend. It will go more smoothly for You. Now, I am going to put Your final shard miles away from this place. When I return, You will be in no condition to ever threaten me again,** " he informed as he took the final fragment of life and flew away someplace.

* * *

That had been two weeks ago. Now, his divine foe was encased in a sphere of antimatter. The outside of the bubble was protected from the material world, but the inside…..well, that was another story. If the prisoner touched any part of the inside of the bubble, It received a violent shock for its trouble. Matter and antimatter did not mix.

He was busy flying towards the tower, intending to painfully sever another shard from his captive when he heard a faint telepathic conversation on the fringes of his dimensional awareness. He was fortunately omnipotent enough to be able to listen in…

"… _.champion, but no one in this world is up to the task. So, I've started looking in….other….realms_ ," he was startled and enraged to hear that his divine captive had the audacity to reach out to Its followers! Wanting to hear what It had to say, he allowed the conversation to continue.

"'Other realms'? Like what?" he heard the other Pokemon ask. Inwardly, he smiled. He recognized the other voice. It belonged to the Pokemon of life and fertility. Figured.

" _Yes. I've been searching the human realms for a suitable Champion. And I believe I've found the one._ " his captive said, sounding pleased.

"I see. And this human, he or she will save You?" the Life Pokemon asked back.

" _I do hope so,_ " the captive agreed solemnly.

"How will You protect it from _Him_?" asked the life-giver.

" _I will turn it into a Pokemon, so He will not easily find it. I will make it Shiny, to better tell it apart from the species I intend to turn it into_ ," replied his prisoner.

" **A Champion, eh?** " he intruded, deeming this a good place to end the forbidden conversation.

Immediately, the Life legendary departed from the conversation, leaving only the guilt-ridden captive.

He too left the conversation. He was already on his way to further punish his captive; he would let the captive simmer in Its own fearful anticipation of what was to come. Later he would hunt down the Life Pokemon.

In the meantime, he thought about what he had just heard. So, his divine foe was thinking about bringing a human to this world to be Its Champion? While there was no way It would be able to do so on his watch, the idea of a Champion was too interesting to ignore. A living symbol of darkness, to bring terror and fear to this world...While he was certainly that symbol, the idea of a black-hearted protégée pleased him to no end. He would teach this human everything he knew about pain and fear. It would grow to be the most terrifying force on this planet.

" **So…** " he murmured. " **You want a human to arrive here, intending to defeat me? Well. Two can play at this game**."


	2. Chapter 1 Beginnings

**Chapter 1. Beginnings**

* * *

Formora's earliest memory was her parents telling her that she was responsible for making their lives miserable. She was only three at the time, but she could distinctly remember tearfully looking up at her mommy and daddy, unsure of why she was being screamed at. They kept telling her awful things like how she was a drain on this thing called 'money', and that they wished she had never been born. After that, she had tried her hardest to be a good daughter and gain her parents' love, but it wasn't enough. Her very existence was enough to make them hate her.

Her parents had always been poor, and their marriage already a strained one when her mother found out she was pregnant with Formora. They decided to keep the baby, as the city of Castelia gave a small sum of money to poor folks with children. They foolishly thought that the check that came every month would pay for the cost of raising a child and the cost of a decent life. Oh, how they were wrong. All too soon, they discovered that the check paid for a mere fraction of the cost of a baby. By the time Formora was two, her parents had lost what little love they had had for her. Her parents had always felt—and held no qualms about reminding her—that if they didn't have a child to take care of, they wouldn't be so poor. She had only one outfit, which was full of holes and very smelly, as her father had found it in his neighbor's trash can. Her black and red hair was unkempt, and her body emaciated. Her parents often did not feed her, as they figured they needed the food more than she did. Their reasoning was, they worked two dead-end jobs that paid almost nothing; they needed the energy more if they were to pay the bills and feed themselves.

They lived in a small house—it was more like a shack, really—with holes in the walls everywhere and had only had three rooms: the kitchen/living room, and two bedrooms. Their washing machines had long since broken, and they never had enough money to get new ones. Formora soon became accustomed to living without heat, water, or electricity, depending on how much money they had at the end of the week. It was not uncommon for all three utilities to be shut off at the same time. During the winter, Pokemon would often hibernate in the attic. Once, the combined weight of all those Pokemon was enough to break the roof of the attic, causing a startled Unfezant to come crashing to the floor. That hole was still there, as they couldn't afford a repairman.

Soon after her fourth birthday—on this special day, her parents took extra care to remind Formora that she was the bane of their existence—her mother left, and never came back.

"I don't blame her," her father had said when she dared voice her concern over it. "She had the option to finally be rid of you, and she took it. I just wish I'd been the one to do it first."

After that, her life had gotten even worse. Without a second income, there were more no-utility days than at-least- _one_ -utility days. Whenever her father went to work, he would lock his daughter in her room, which held only a small cardboard box and a worn out mattress. She could not escape, as the windows were barred and her four-year-old self was not strong enough to take down the door. And so, she spent most of her time alone. She had one picture book, and it was a story about a family with a Purrloin that loved each other no matter what. The book confused her, as the family depicted did not match her experience of what a family was. And so, after many hours of time alone, locked in her room, little Formora came to the conclusion that the book was right, and that her daddy was supposed to love her. One day, after being released from her prison, she boldly asked her father why he didn't love her. The question sent him into a fit of rage, and he spent the next hour and a half screaming at her that she was lazy, stupid, and didn't deserve love, but mainly that she was why her mommy left and why they never had enough food. He sent Formora to bed without dinner, and she never asked that question again.

When she was five, her father allowed her to go to school, as they'd feed her and babysit her. School frightened her, as she was suddenly thrust into this colorful new world with loud children who didn't have dirt caked all over them and had families who actually loved them. The other children, however, immediately took notice of the girl's dirtiness and shyness. Whenever they could, they teased Formora relentlessly, often to the point of her sobbing. After a week of this torture, she came home with a note for her father, asking that his child _please_ take a bath and obtain some new clothes. Unwilling to admit that he couldn't pay for water and clothes, her father pulled her out of school. It wasn't a total loss, though. Formora had managed to learn about numbers, shapes, colors, and the names of the months in the space of that week. She was an intelligent child, more intelligent than her father ever knew. The school also had a pet Igglybuff, and Formora learned a little bit about Pokemon.

Soon, her father got an idea. During the day, instead of locking her in her room, he'd send her out to beg for money. Or, failing that, steal it. Needless to say, Formora learned how to pickpocket and pick locks from a very early age. She also learned that she could control people, in a way. She would find a person who looked kind, and would go up to them tearfully, asking for a little bit of money for her poor ailing father. Seeing how dirty she was, her targets almost always gave her some change. Formora soon found that people with children, small Pokemon, or people coming out of the hospital were her best targets, as they either sympathized with an obviously impoverished child or ailing relative. She didn't make much money, but it pleased her father for a time. As this was the first time he'd shown her any semblance of affection, she strove to keep her daddy happy, working hard on perfecting her stealing, begging, and manipulation techniques. Her father's love, however, came with a price. He started demanding quotas that she couldn't ever hope to meet, and all too soon Formora lost her father's adoration again.

As she got older, the more she came to resent her father and his ever-growing hatred of her. She had endured his neglect and abuse for years, and now it was started to bubble up inside her, like a volcano. So, when she was just fourteen years old, Formora couldn't endure any longer and ran away from home. Her father never once looked for her, and she never went back. It was hard at first, living on the streets. At least she had had some semblance of a roof when she still lived with her father, and she soon found that alleys were more open than she would have liked. She had always been an adaptable and intelligent child, so she quickly learned the life of a street child. Castelia City had numerous abandoned buildings, so she'd just break into one of them whenever she needed to sleep or get out of fell weather. Every so often, a Zubat or Woobat would roost in the rafters above her. They stayed away from her, so most of the time she left them alone as well. She spent her days pickpocketing or perfecting her manipulation on unwary strangers. It wasn't a successful life, but it kept her alive, so it was good enough for her. Plus, she liked the challenge of survival. She liked fighting to remain alive. It gave her quite an intoxicating thrill. And so it remained for four years...

* * *

Formora let the memories fade and dissipate with a scowl. It wasn't her fault that she existed. Her parents had been too stupid and irresponsible to be careful, and they were especially idiotic in their thinking that the money they got from the city would be enough for a good life. They had no reason to take their frustrations out on her. As she stewed in her anger, she took in the Castelia evening. The city was always busy, always full of tourists at _all_ times of the day, which made it easy for her to pickpocket them and disappear. Leaning against a building, she tilted her head towards the sun to catch a few beams of warmth. It was October now, and warm days like this weren't going to last much longer. Soon she'd have to worry about finding enough food to last the winter, and finding a place to spend the cold nights again. Looking down at herself, she grimaced as she realized she'd need to start wearing her coat soon. The coat had been given to her almost three years ago by a man and woman who saved her from hypothermia. They had offered to adopt her, but she'd refused. She hadn't wanted to give up her freedom.

Her black hair, which hadn't been cut in nearly three years, was nearly waist-length and filled with knots. A red streak ran down the top of her head down to her messy bangs. Long hair such as this would help keep her neck warm, at least. During her first few days as a runaway, she had tried to keep it straightish, but soon gave up on that idea. She also wore a thin red T-shirt under a black jacket. Her pants were long and black, and she had managed to find some red sneakers that fit her. All of her clothes were full of holes and were way too small for her, as she'd been wearing them ever since she was fifteen. She had found each piece in different trash cans over the course of a month. The clothes wouldn't keep her warm this year, but that was a concern for another day. Right now, she was hungry.

The day before, her nose had led her to a small diner with pictures of Torchics and Tepigs painted on the windows down near the Narrow Street side of the Central Plaza. She had seen a waitress bring a customer what appeared to be a bowl of noodles in a thick, creamy white sauce and garnished with some sort of herb. She had chosen not to go in that day, as many restaurants were well aware of her tricks, but today she decided to treat herself.

Peeling herself off the wall, Formora walked slowly to the restaurant, daydreaming about how delicious the food she had seen yesterday would be. She had no money to pay for it, of course, but she had her ways. Presently, she arrived. Peeking in the windows, she saw to her satisfaction that the only customers were an old couple at the bar and a woman with a Pikachu seated near the door. They would do just fine. She entered the restaurant, trying not to flinch at the sound of the bell as she walked in. When she was sixteen, she had almost been caught by the police as she was breaking into a small convenience store and had set off the door alarm. Ever since then, she had a small fear against bells and whistles. She sat down at the bar a few seats away from the old couple. Soon, her waitress arrived.

The server, a young woman probably not too much older than Formora herself, wrinkled her nose as she came closer to her. Inwardly, Formora cursed herself for not thinking about the way she smelled. She had become used to the stench of poverty that she no longer noticed it. Her scent would be especially noticeable if she ever tried to come here again. She liked it when she could get away with the same trick multiple times, but it required employees with no prior knowledge about her or her appearance.

"Hello, my name is Beatrice. What can I get you?" the waitress asked, handing Formora a menu. She opened it, appearing to look at the choices.

"I'd like to start off with some water. Please," she added at the last second. She had to seem as pleasant as possible, at least for the time being.

The waitress departed, and Formora kept up the appearance of reading the menu. She had never been taught to read, as she had been pulled from school before that could happen. But it didn't matter. She didn't need to read to get what she wanted.

The waitress came back with her drink, and inquired about her meal choice.

"Can you tell me more about this?" she asked, pointing to the picture of the noodles with the white sauce. "I can't seem to find it on the menu."

"The fettuccine alfredo with the parsley garnish? Oh, it's right here," the waitress said helpfully, gingerly leaning down towards the putrid-smelling girl and pointing to the description.

"Oh! Right in front of me. Naturally," smiled Formora, forcing herself to laugh pleasantly. "What about this?" she continued, pointing to the description just below the fettuccine.

"Oh, that's our signature salad, with carrots, radishes, and our special dressing," the waitress said brightly.

"The signature salad with your special dressing. Mmm," repeated Formora, subtly raising her voice loud enough so that the couple nearby could clearly hear her.

"I'll take the fettuccine instead," she said, lowering her voice so that only the waitress could hear.

"Alright, it'll be out in a jiffy!" the waitress beamed, eager to get away from the stinking woman.

Smiling smugly, Formora sat back and waited for her food to arrive.

The diner looked kinda nice. It was rather small, though, and she could see the paint peeling in the back corner, but other than that the place looked rather dainty. It was humbly decorated, with only a few paintings of Pokemon on the walls, but everything was clean and neat, and she had the distinct impression that the owner held a lot of love for this little diner. The other patrons looked quite happy, and they had the relaxed auras of long-time regulars.

She was almost sad she could only visit this place once or twice.

Her food arrived soon, and looked exactly like the meal she had seen being served yesterday. Her mouth watered in anticipation, but her work was not yet done.

"Um," she said upon seeing the bowl. "I didn't order that."

"What?" asked the waitress, confused. "I wrote down what you said, and you said you wanted the fettuccine alfredo…."

"No, I wanted the signature salad with the signature dressing!" Formora frowned, raising her voice a bit. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the other patrons were now paying attention to her. Perfect.

"I could have sworn…" trailed the waitress, looking helplessly at her notepad.

"I demand to see a manager," stormed Formora, enjoying the waitress' confusion.

A moment later, a fragile-looking man entered the dining room from the kitchen. A Minccino trailed behind him.

"What seems to be the problem?" he inquired to Formora, who raised her head with a look of disdain.

"Minccino?" asked his Minccino.

"I ordered the signature salad, but I received an entirely different meal instead! I want the dinner I _actually_ ordered," Formora ordered, brushing her bangs out of her face.

The manager turned to the waitress.

"She said she wanted the fettuccine, so that's what I wrote down…" the woman said helplessly, looking like a Deerling in the headlights.

"I asked about the fettuccine, but ultimately I ordered the salad!" Formora spat, crossing her arms.

"It's true, I heard the lady order the salad. Although she could be a bit nicer about it," the old man sitting nearby piped up, with a disapproving glare at Formora. She ignored him. He would do the same if he was in her situation.

"Yes, she did order the salad," his wife agreed mildly.

The manager looked back at the waitress.

"Beatrice, I know you're new here, so I'll go easy on you. Tell the chefs to make the _correct_ meal, please," he told the sniffling waitress gently. His Minccino agreed. The waitress' lip was trembling, but she nodded and shuffled into the kitchen.

"This is my first time visiting this place. I am saddened that I wasted my time here," Formora huffed.

"Please, this normally doesn't happen. What can I do to make it up to you?" the manager asked hastily, as she knew he would.

"Cino…" added his worried Pokemon.

Businesspeople were all the same. They would do anything not to lose a sale. She wished she could meet the person who coined the phrase, "the customer is always right'. She could just about kiss him right now. He'd made her life _so_ much easier.

"Well, for starters I'd like my meal comped for all this trouble. And don't throw out the fettuccine, I suppose I'll have to take it...It's not good to waste food, after all," Formora sighed dramatically, acting like this was one huge inconvenience.

The manager hesitated, and Formora guessed he was starting to catch on.

"Can I have both in to-go boxes, please? I need to time alone to think about whether I will or will not be returning here," she requested quickly.

The manager hesitated once more, but sighed, his shoulders slumping. Lose a customer and waste food, or give in to her demands? There was also a third option: tell her no and call the police, but Formora had the feeling this passive man wouldn't go _that_ far. Her gut was seldom wrong in this instances.

"Very well," he agreed, realizing that his hands were tied.

Formora was glad he made the right choice.

When the waitress came back with the salad, she put both that and the noodles in two white boxes.

"Thank you for your customer service," Formora told them as she headed out the door. She stopped, and in a softer tone, "I _really_ do appreciate it."

Then she was out.

* * *

She ran down Narrow Street, eager to eat her prizes. She didn't stop until she had reached the docks. There was a bench near Unity Pier, where one could watch the ships sail to and from Castelia City.

She decided to start with the salad first, saving the best for last. She gleefully took out the plastic fork that had come with the box, and dug into her food.

She sighed in bliss when the taste hit her. The lettuce had the right amount of crunch to it, and the tomatoes were juicy and flavorful. The diner's signature sauce wasn't half bad either. It tasted sweet, which she'd never experienced in a salad dressing before. She was glad she chose to trick the diner today.

She finished the salad, and eagerly dug into her coveted fettuccine.

She couldn't help but let out a moan as the plump noodles and rich, savory sauce hit her taste buds. The pasta was every bit as delicious as she had fantasized, and she was loathe to finish it. She savored every tasty mouthful, not wanting these heavenly moments to end. She had a new favorite food. She'd have to get this _much_ more often.

She had finished the last bite when two girls ran past her.

"Come on, Ez!" the one in the lead laughed to the other.

Formora ignored them, getting up to throw away the empty containers. As she did, however, the second girl knocked the boxes out of her hands as she came running past.

"Ow! Hey!" hissed Formora, wringing her stinging hand. She glared at the offender, silently judging her for her lack of awareness.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Here," the girl said sheepishly as she paused to pick up the containers. "Luckily they were empty, though, right?"

Formora scowled at her. The girl blanched.

"Um, well, again, I'm sorry for running into you," she said uneasily as she turned to follow her friend.

"Marissa, _wait up!"_ she shouted, hurrying after the first girl.

Formora glared daggers at the girl's back, then sighed angrily and threw away the containers.

She returned to her bench. It was almost nighttime by now, she realized idly as a cold breeze rushed by. She took out her switchblade, opening it up and flipping it into the air. Each time she caught it neatly by the handle. It took her a couple months to master this trick, but now she found the motion relaxing.

She'd been lucky to find the knife. Earlier in the year, she'd been wandering around in the wealthier part of the city when she saw a man toss away the knife because, according to him, he didn't want a switchblade with a blue handle. His wife then yelled at him for squandering her anniversary present to him, then they retreated back into their mansion. Formora had instantly snatched up the knife and ran away.

She looked out at the water, where a large luxury cruise ship was just pulling into port.

She turned her gaze away, and her eyes fell upon a strange, purple whirlpool that was forming close by.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. Water wasn't supposed to be purple, and she'd never seen it form a whirlpool before. What was going on? She'd never seen anything like it before.

Her curiosity got the better of her, and cautiously she stood up and peered down at the water. The churning maelstrom looked almost alien, and shockingly she could feel herself being tugged towards it.

Alarmed, she tried to pull away, but the mysterious force only tightened its force. She resisted as hard as she could as panic set in. She couldn't swim; she'd drown if she fell in!

Try as she might, she was unable to overcome the invisible force. She lost her balance and fell into the purple maelstrom, screaming at the top of her lungs as she did so.

She felt like she was falling, falling, falling forever. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was holding her breath as she blindly flailed around, trying desperately to claw her way to the surface.

She felt multiple spasms shaking her body, but that was probably from the lack of oxygen. She couldn't hold her breath for much longer; soon she'd have to draw in air. But instead, water would enter her lungs, and she'd die, cold and alone...

Thankfully, though, she blacked out right before she finally opened her mouth.

Her last thought was that she was glad she wouldn't have to suffer, in the end.


	3. Chapter 2 A Place to Call Home

**Chapter 2. A Place to Call Home**

* * *

She was breathing. She was alive. That in itself wasn't right. She had been drowning in the ocean, pulled in by the odd purple whirlpool. She was supposed to be at the bottom of the sea by now.

Had someone pulled her out?

No, no, that couldn't have happened. For one, the air smelled vastly different from Castelia's air. This air smelled clean, with a strong grassy scent. In Castelia, the dank stench of the sea, and the pollution that came with thousands of people living in the same area was inescapable no matter where you went. Also, she was completely dry.

Just where _was_ she?

Formora tentatively opened her eyes—and screamed at the top of her lungs.

There, looming above her, was a giant, monstrous creature.

It was as tall as a three-story house. It was mainly gray in color, and had six legs with golden claws with a long gray tail. There were black stripes along its back half, where the legs connected to the body. Its torso was tall and lean, like a skyscraper. Black and red stripes went all up along its torso until they reached its head, which was gray, save for a gold crown-like structure all along its head and mouth. Golden half-rings surrounded its torso, almost like ribs. Large, black, tattered wings were attached to its back. The wings had red spikes on them.

Formora tried to scramble to her feet, but for some reason her legs wouldn't obey. She looked down, and screamed again when she found that she didn't have any legs anymore.

Instead, she had a white dress-like body with a red bow tied around her waist. Her hands had changed as well. Her arms were long, white, and thin, and they felt like they were attached to her head. She now had only three fingers on each hand, and her wrists were flared at the bottom, creating a large pocket of skin that draped downward. This patch of skin had light blue markings on it.

What had happened to her?! Where was she?! This wasn't Castelia City, or even Route 4!

She was in an entirely new place. She was on a small flat plain, with tall grasses and a small pond nearby. The sky was blue and cloudless, and it was quite warm. The place was on a slight incline, and in the distance she could see one lonely spike of a mountain stretch high up into the sky. There seemed to be some sort of building on top of the mountain, but it was too far away for her to make out the details. To her left, a small path led to...something. For some reason, she couldn't see where the path led. Shadows prevented her from seeing.

She didn't care where it led, as long as it got her away from the monster standing in front of her.

" **Hello,** " the monster said in a deep, masculine voice. Formora jumped in surprise. That monster had just _talked_.

" **My name is Giratina. And you are Formora.** " it went on. Her entire body was screaming at her that this wasn't right. What was this thing, and how did it know her name?

"Where am I? How do you know my name?" she asked fearfully, thinking quickly about how she could distract it long enough to make her escape.

" **Of course I know your name; I'm the one who brought you here, to this world. You're in a different dimension.** " it informed her.

"How? Why? What am I?" Formora demanded, staring at her hands and body again.

" **I am the master of antimatter, and by extension, dimensions. I have the ability to travel between any two dimensions at will. I changed you into a Froslass. Your human body was weak, and would only make you stand out, as there are no humans here. But now that you are a Pokemon, you are much more powerful. Go on, take a look.** " the monster nodded at the pond behind it.

She was a Pokemon…?

"But I don't have any legs; I can't!" she protested.

" **You float in the air. Try standing up.** " the monster invited.

Warily, she pushed herself off of the ground, like she was getting up from the ground. Although she didn't have legs to push herself into a standing position, some inner instinct helped pull her upward. To her complete astonishment, she was indeed floating in the air! She wobbled a bit, trying to find her balance. After a moment, she found it. She was floating about a foot and a half off the ground. After that initial wobble, she felt completely normal, balance-wise. She wasn't struggling to remain upright or anything. It was like mastering walking all over again, only this time she didn't have legs.

Now how did she move…?

She leaned forward an inch, and unconsciously she tried to move her legs. Then she remembered that she didn't have those anymore. But to her surprise, her new body reacted the same way. She moved forward about a foot before she stopped.

She turned to the side, keeping the monster in her side vision. She then willed herself to move forward again, and her body responded by moving forward. Well, at least moving wasn't too difficult. She used the same, unconscious instinct to float forward as she did walking.

Now that she'd gotten moving out of the way, she raced over to the pond, still keeping the monster in her vision. She didn't trust it, not one bit. She knelt down, and gasped when she saw her face.

She now had a white mask-like head in the shape of a teardrop. There were two light blue icicle-looking things sticking out on the top of her head. Between them was a diamond-shaped gap in the "mask", revealing purple skin underneath. There were large holes for her eyes, which were yellow and blue now. The "mask" ended right above her mouth, leaving her purple chin free. The back of her head, underneath the teardrop, was light blue. Her arms were indeed attached to her head, and she was astonished to feel that her body was actually hollow.

She looked like a freak. She _was_ a freak.

"What did you do to me?" Formora whispered, aghast, as she slowly backed away from the water's edge. She closed her eyes. When she opened them, she'd be back in Castelia City, where things made sense. She opened her eyes, and was disappointed to find that she was still in this new land.

" **I turned you into a Froslass. Like I said, your human body wasn't strong enough. Your new body will help us both as we conquer the world together.** " the monster replied, turning towards her. Formora wasn't sure she heard it correctly.

"Conquer...the world?" she repeated slowly.

" **That's right. I brought you here, Formora, to be my Champion of Darkness.** " the monster nodded.

Formora only stared at the monster in confusion.

" **Haven't you ever wondered why your life was so horrid, Formora? Haven't you ever wondered what you did to deserve the treatment your parents gave you? Haven't you cursed the name of the being that put you on this planet to make you suffer?** " the monster asked, growing more serious in tone.

Formora didn't meets its eyes. She'd done all of those things.

" **Well, now you have the chance to right the wrongs of your life! You'd have shelter, food, and anything else you desire. Also…** " the monster lowered its head. " **I have the Pokemon who caused you to have such a hellish life in captivity, Formora.** "

She looked up at that.

"You're lying." she accused. This monster was just stringing her along, telling her what she wanted to hear.

" **I am not, actually. I managed to capture and subdue Arceus, the Original One, the one who orchestrated your terrible life. It is my prisoner. I intend to kill It slowly. You see, I too desired for a better life. I wanted more power. I tried to take some from Arceus, and It responded by** _ **banishing**_ **me,** _ **imprisoning**_ **me for millennia. Tell me, is that right? I tried to take control of my own life, and instead I was cast away for years. But now...now It is the imprisoned one. It's** _ **my**_ **turn to rule the world, and give others like us, the ones who were abandoned and ignored, the life we deserve!** " the monster exclaimed with great passion.

Formora hesitated. She had the distinct sense that this creature wasn't lying. There was too much conviction in its voice for its exclamations to be false. On one hand, the creature's offer reminded her distinctly of the couple who offered to adopt her. She'd have to give up her freedom...But on the other hand, getting to tear into the deity that made her life a living hell was something she'd wanted to do for years.

"Theoretically, if I say yes...what will happen?" she asked warily, staring at the creature.

" **You'd become my** **protégée** **. I'd teach you the ways of Darkness. You'd spread chaos and terror to those who haven't suffered as we have. You'd be working toward a future in which we'd all have happy lives and the rich and powerful would learn the pain we have endured.** " the creature answered.

"This...this is all so sudden…" Formora hesitated, feeling overwhelmed. So much had happened in such a short time.

" **I understand completely. You are in a new body, world, and home. That is why I will let you take a few days to acclimate to your new situation. If you still feel like leaving, then I will take you back to your dimension,** " the creature nodded.

"...You'll just let me go?" Formora asked suspiciously.

" **Of course.** "

"You're not going to make me stay here?"

" **Why would I? Sure, I would be disappointed, but I know all too well what it is like to be imprisoned. I could never do the same to another Dark Pokemon."** Somehow, she believed it. Her gut was seldom wrong about these things.

"But...would I have to hurt others?" Formora asked cautiously. She was all for giving those like her a happy life, but...she'd never hurt anyone intentionally before. There were a few times she had to pull her knife on people that got a little too interested in her before, but she'd never threatened anyone's life.

" **Let me tell you a story, Formora. Do you see that building on top of the mountain?** " the creature nodded to the mountain in the distance. " **That is where we live. There are hundreds of those like us, Formora, those who were shunned and spit upon by society. Inside that building is a Pokemon named** **Gothorita. Gothorita's parents hated her, just like yours do. But Gothorita's parents were physically abusive, whereas yours were only verbally abusive to you. Her parents would hit her, over and over again, for the most minute of infractions. If she so much as looked them in the eye, they'd hit her. When you meet her, you'll notice that there is a large scar on her right arm. Do you know how she got that scar? One day, her mother stabbed her with a carving knife. The wound was so great, the knife went through the other side of her arm. Gothorita managed to escape, and a neighbor called the paramedics while she bled out on the front lawn.** "

"That's...awful…" Formora whispered, suddenly glad that her father never did anything like that to her.

" **The police were notified by the neighbor. But you see, Gothorita's parents never let themselves appear suspicious to anyone. They were always cheerful and polite to everyone they met. They appeared as model citizens. It was only in the privacy of their homes did they let their true natures show. No one believed Gothorita when she said her mother stabbed her, and that her parents beat her. Her parents, when questioned, said that Gothorita was a troubled child, always making up outlandish stories. They claimed she frequently hurt herself just to get attention. The police believed them.** _ **Everyone**_ **believed them. Once Gothorita was released from the hospital, she was sent to a girl's home for troubled teens. She ran away, and came to be a part of our family. Tell me, Formora, how do you feel about her story?"**

"I'm...angry. Angry at her parents, and angry at the police…" Formora said slowly, horrified by what she had just heard.

" **What do you want to do?** " demanded the creature.

"I want to stab them and see how _they_ like it!" Formora snapped. She paused, surprised at this reaction. What shocked her was that this was true. She _did_ want to hurt Gothorita's parents. And the police. And everyone who didn't believe Gothorita.

"I...wow…" she said softly. Just where did that rage come from?

" **By being a part of the Dark, you will have the opportunity to hurt those who are deserving of it. When Gothorita first told us her story, a couple Pokemon immediately went out and stabbed her parents. Nothing fatal, they only gave them the opportunity to learn the agony they inflicted on their daughter. They stabbed them in the exact same spot her mother had stabbed her.** " the creature informed.

Formora stared coldly at it.

"Good," she said simply. She was glad that justice had been served in the end.

The creature nodded in approval. " **There are many stories like Gothorita's in our base. And there are many more out there in the world, ignorant of our struggle to free them from their agony. Will you help us, Formora? Will you help us right these wrongs**?"

"Yes." Formora nodded solemnly. To help free those like her, to punish those who abused their power…

She'd like nothing more.

" **Excellent. Before I take you to your new home...there's a small test I'd like you to complete first,** " the creature said.

"What is it?" asked Formora.

" **This,** " the creature said, and before she could react, the large creature lifted one giant foreleg and _knocked_ her straight down the murky path she'd been eyeing a few minutes ago.

* * *

 **Windy Plains ( watch?v=r5iZ8NqwpbA)**

 **B1F**

She tumbled across the ground for a few seconds before coming to a stop by a small puddle of water. She lay there, stunned and bewildered. What had just happened?!

Formora sat up, and watched helplessly as the path leading back to the monster closed up. The scenery grew at an impossibly fast rate, growing and growing until she was unable to see the outside any longer.

She stood up quickly, racing over to the wall. She hit it with her fists over and over again, but it did not break.

She was trapped.

She'd been a fool to trust that monstrous being.

She turned around, hoping to find another way out. Strangely, she seemed to be in an entirely new environment. She appeared to be in some sort of maze, as there were two narrow corridors leading elsewhere to her left and right. The grass below was long and green, and there was a noticeable breeze billowing nonstop through the room, causing the grass to sway lazily this way and that. Blue flowers grew in between these long strands, making it look like the landscape was dotted in blue glitter. There were a couple small patches of plain dirt in the room as well, but for the most part it was grassy. A couple of deep puddles lay around the edges of the room. The maze's walls were made of a light brown stone that rose high into the air. From what she could see from the ground, the stone was covered in more long grass, and a few scraggly bushes grew here and there.

Formora tried to float up onto the top of the wall, but a strong invisible force prevented her from rising above the top of the wall. She grimaced. She was forced to stay on the ground, inside of the maze.

" **Are you there, Formora?** " the traitor asked from out of nowhere. Formora jumped in fright at the unexpected voice, then looked for the creature. It wasn't here. So where had its voice been coming from?

" **Formora?** " the monster persisted. Strangely, its voice seemed to be coming from a puddle on the other side of the room. She gingerly went over to it, and gasped when she saw the monster's face in the water.

" **Oh there you are. Welcome to Windy Plains!"** the monster actually had the audacity to think that she _wanted_ to be here.

"You tricked me! You kicked me into this maze! I'm trapped!" Formora snapped, clenching her fists. Making a fist wasn't as satisfying, now that she only had a total of six fingers.

" **I apologize for the sudden relocation. This is your first test, Formora. Your goal is to get to the end of this mystery dungeon. Somewhere on this floor is a set of Stairs. They'll take you to the next floor, and you'll have to go and find the next set. You'll repeat this until you reach the end.** " the monster informed.

"Why?" demanded Formora, crossing her arms.

" **You'll travel through many different mystery dungeons during your exploits. I want to make sure that you can handle this one before I take you home. This is Windy Plains. It has four floors, and the enemies should be simple enough even for you to defeat.** " the monster explained.

 _Four_ floors? Of course it would be four floors. Why wouldn't be it any number _but_ four?

"Mystery dungeons? Enemies? What _is_ this place? And how are you in the water?" Formora asked, suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed. She was having a hard time processing all of this new information.

" **I am capable of scrying, meaning I can watch whatever is happening in another place, no matter the distance. The only caveat is, I can only scry using reflective surfaces, like water or mirrors. I am using the pond outside to watch you through this puddle. That is how I can see and speak to you. As for what mystery dungeons are...shortly after Arceus imprisoned me, I began slowly distorting space and time. I couldn't do very much damage, as any significant changes were bound to be noticed and corrected by my brothers, who hold sway over those two areas. So, after eons of subtle distortions, time and space have begun to fall apart. My brothers have been driven insane because of it. They are directly connected to the space-time fabric. In any case, this has caused strange places called 'mystery dungeons' to pop up all across the continent. Mystery dungeons are places whose layout changes each time you enter one. If you are defeated inside of one, you will be immediately kicked out of the dungeon. They're also crawling with enemy Pokemon, Pokemon who can't be reasoned with and** _ **will**_ **attack you upon sight. Fascinating places, honestly."** the monster explained patiently.

"There are...Pokemon who will attack me in here?" Formora asked slowly, fearfully turning around as if one such enemy would suddenly appear behind her.

" **Correct. But now that you are a Pokemon, you can attack them back. If you find yourself in trouble, hold your hands out in front of you, and wish for snow to appear. Or tackle something while shouting in a startling fashion. If you want to weaken an enemy, leer at it. Or imagine dividing yourself into multiple copies, and will it to happen. That should help tremendously. But, if you fail…"** the creature loomed closer. " **I'm transporting you back to your world, straight to your father's house."**

Formora cringed. She did not want that. She did not want that _at all_. She'd endured him enough; she did not want to return to her childhood life.

It seemed she had no choice.

"...Fine." she muttered.

" **Excellent! You may encounter a few items along your exploration. You can only carry one item at a time. In Windy Plains, you will find apples, Oran Berries, which are blue and restore your health, Pecha Berries, which are pink and heal poison, Blast Seeds, which are small and red and deal damage to an opponent in front of you, and Heal Seeds, which are white seeds that cure you of all status effects. Oh, and if you find any Poke, pick that up. It's our currency in this world. Poke look like gold coins with a 'P' on the side."** the creature went on.

"That's...a lot of information…" Formora paused.

" **I know it's a lot to take in at first, but I believe in you. Once you reach the end, just turn back the way you came. It'll take you immediately outside. I will see you then. Good luck, Formora.** "

And with that, the creature's face vanished from the puddle, leaving it clear and blank once more.

Formora turned her back to it, storing the creature's advice away for later. Hesitantly, she began wandering down the path to her left, keeping a close eye out for any enemy Pokemon.

' _Hold my arms out and wish for snow to appear'? What kind of advice was that_? Formora wondered in disbelief as she rounded a sharp corner.

To her fright, she came face-to-face with her first enemy.

It was a small Pokemon, thankfully, but it was one she'd never seen before. That wasn't surprising, as she had not met many Pokemon during her life. This one was colored green, and it had some sort of closed bud on its head. It had no arms, and had only two stubby legs. Its face was yellow, and it only had two simple eyes and a narrow mouth. It had a dark green bib-like design underneath its face.

The small Pokemon glared up at her. It was almost comical, really.

Just when Formora thought that it wouldn't attack her, the little green Pokemon opened up its bud and released a red beam from the opening. The red beam enveloped her, and Formora could feel a part of her energy being drained from her body. The red beam retracted back into the Pokemon, and it smiled broadly as it absorbed her strength.

Formora leaned over, panting from the loss of energy. The creature hadn't been kidding about the enemies after all. She looked up at the Pokemon, and her eyes widened as the foe prepared to drain her energy again.

"No!" she shouted, diving to the side as the red beam shot towards her. Thankfully, she managed to evade the attack. Before the Pokemon could strike again, she punched it square in the face, hoping that would be enough to get it to leave her alone.

No such luck. The Pokemon recoiled upon being hit, but all that did was make it angrier. It swiftly drained her energy once more. By now, Formora was starting to get annoyed. She didn't want to have to deal with this anymore.

She _glared_ at the Pokemon, putting all of her hatred into the leer. The tiny thing flinched, and for a moment she thought she had scared it straight. But then it quickly shook its trepidation off, and shot the red beam at her once more.

She dodged, narrowly avoiding the beam. Breathing heavily, she put her hands out in front of her, and willed for snow to arrive. She didn't quite know why she was doing this exactly, but a faint instinct told her that it was _right_. To her complete shock, a light blue, powdery snow shot from her hands and onto the Pokemon. The attack seemed to do a lot of damage to it, for it wailed in pain and fell onto its back.

Formora stared at her hands in wonder. She had just shot _snow_ from her _hands_. What else could she do, now that she was a Froslass, or whatever it was called?

The Pokemon was struggling to get to its feet. Formora dispatched it easily with another blast of snow from her hands. It went still, and disappeared into thin air.

She blinked in surprise, then waited for it to return. After a moment, she realized with delight that she had defeated it.

Formora smiled. She was starting to like this new body.

Eagerly, she pressed onwards. She was glad to note that as she walked, her energy slowly came back. By the time she had reached the next chamber, she felt completely back to normal.

There was nothing in this room, so she moved on to the next room. This new room held a set of stone stairs leading downward. Formora briefly hesitated before walked down them.

 **B2F**

She arrived at the next floor, which looked exactly the same as the first one. The only differences were that the room was slightly bigger, and the hallways were in different locations. To her startlement, the stairs leading to the first floor disappeared, leaving her trapped on this floor. A new enemy was also in this room, heading right towards her.

This new foe was small and blue, and had a big blue ball that was as big as its body on the end of its jagged tail. It had no hands, and short stubby blue feet. It had two round ears on the top of its head, and two white cheeks. It looked rather cute, actually.

As it walked over to her, Formora thought quickly of the other things the creature had said she could do. She imagined making multiple copies of herself, imagined splitting herself into multiple forms, and willed them to appear.

To her delight, she felt herself be split into many forms that surrounded the now-confused foe. From what she could tell, the copies obeyed her mental commands without question. They had no free will of their own, it seemed. They couldn't attack, but they moved wherever she wanted them to go. The blue Pokemon in the center of Formoras looked all around, then spat a powerful blast of water at one of her clones. The clone disintegrated without a trace. Formora nodded. Her copies only served to confuse opponents, it seemed. They couldn't think, attack, or live very long. Good to know.

As the foe continued blasting her clones with the water gun, Formora got tired of the exchange and went on the offensive. She blasted the blue foe with her snow attack, but it didn't seem to do as much damage to this foe as it did the green foe.

The small blue Pokemon flinched upon being hit by the attack, but shook it off quickly and turned around and shook its tail cutely at Formora.

Formora gushed at the cute little gesture, then immediately frowned, wondering why she was acting like that. She liked cute things, sure, but she never _gushed_ over anything before.

As she questioned her feelings, she was caught unaware by the foe's water gun. She choked as the blast knocked her to the ground. Once the stream ended, she gasped and sputtered, trying to expel water from her lungs.

Once she could breathe again, she glared intensely at the small little thing, hating it for making her almost drown. The Pokemon flinched like the green foe had done, and Formora wasted no time in tackling the thing to the ground, bellowing like a lunatic as she did so. Strangely, though, that hardly seemed to do anything to it. The blue Pokemon merely shrugged off the attack, and blasted her again with water.

Formora was sent sprawling across the floor. She lay there, wounded and tired. She was beginning to see black at the edges of her vision. If she didn't so something soon, she'd be knocked unconscious.

Then she'd be kicked out of this place, and she'd be sent back to her own world. Back to _his_ home.

That thought was what made her get up, painful as it was, and continue the fight. She threw herself out of the way of the enemy's water attack, and blasted it in the face with her snow attack. The little foe wobbled on its feet, having been caught off guard. It had thought it had won. It wasn't expecting her to still be able to fight.

Since her shouting-tackle hadn't done much to it, Formora finished it off with her snow attack. As the foe disappeared, she collapsed onto the floor. She needed to rest.

As she lay there, staring at the ceiling, she gradually felt her energy return. When she was strong enough to walk, she hobbled down a corridor and into a small room that had a blue berry lying dejectedly in the corner.

She remembered the monster's words about how the blue berry would restore her health, and limped over to it. She took a bite, and as the sweet morsel went down her throat, she felt some of her bruises fade, and she felt a bit more energetic. She ate the rest of the berry, and marveled as she watched her scrapes fade away right before her eyes. Her strength returned at full force, and she felt ready to take on another foe.

She didn't have to wait long. Right as she was about to exit the room, the green foe from the first floor entered from the corridor she'd hobbled down from.

She smiled. She could take on this enemy.

The green foe spotted her, and began racing over to her. She let it come close, then surprised it with her snow attack. The powdery snow billowed from her hands and onto the foe's body, striking it with the power of cold and ice. The green foe shrieked, and tried to heal itself by shooting the red beam from its bud and onto Formora.

She easily evaded the attack, and defeated the green Pokemon with another snow attack.

To her satisfaction, she was rewarded with the stairs leading to the next floor in the next room she arrived at.

 **B3F**

To her surprised delight, there was a gold coin lying on the floor. The stairs to the next floor were in this room as well. She picked up the coin, marveling at how shiny it was despite being left in the middle of a dungeon. There was an odd symbol on the side of the coin. She thought nothing of it, and descended to the final floor.

 **B4F**

This was it. She was on the last floor of this dungeon. Once she made it to the end, she'd be done with this place. The creature would take her to the top of the mountain, where she'd live as his Dark envoy. Did she want that?

She did, actually. She wanted to help others like her find their place in life, and she definitely wanted to destroy the being that had made her childhood so miserable. Plus, now that she had experienced life as a Froslass, she found herself reluctant to going back to being a human. Humans couldn't shoot snow out of their hands, or clone themselves at will. She'd grown fond of this new body, and especially these new powers.

She didn't want to go back to her old life.

With great determination, she set forward, ready to take on all that stood in her way. As she moved through the final floor, she encountered another green foe. It was quickly taken care of with two snow attacks, and she came across an apple, which she ate.

When Formora finally arrived at the room with the stairs, a blue foe and a new foe were waiting for her. The new foe was small and plump, and had short wings. It had brown feathers on top and on its tail, and yellow feathers everywhere else. Its beak and feet were a dull pinkish color.

The brown-and-yellow foe flew right at her, tackling her with all its might. Amusingly, though, it wasn't that strong. She barely felt the attack, and took no time in blasting it away with her snow attack.

The blue foe caught her attention with its water attack, and she summoned multiple copies of herself, scowling profusely at the opponent. The blue foe shot is water attack at one of her clones, and the flying foe tackled another clone into oblivion. She beat the flying foe straight into unconsciousness with her snow attack, and focused on the remaining enemy, who now knew which Formora was the real one.

It wagged its tail cutely at her, and again she found herself lowering her guard at the cute gesture.

She strengthened her resolve, and smacked the blue foe squarely in the face with the back of her hand. As it recoiled, she blasted it with her powdery-snow-attack.

It opened its mouth to hit her with its water attack, but before it could do that she vanquished it with another snow blast.

She drooped a bit, panting. Taking on two foes at once had made her expend more energy than she'd thought. She paused for a brief second, recovering her strength.

Then she descended down the stairs.

 **Windy Clearing**

Formora now found herself in a windy little clearing. There wasn't much to the clearing, as it was tiny, and surrounded by dense woodland. The grass was still long and swayed in the breeze, and bigger versions of the blue flowers grew alongside the tall grass.

There was nothing here, so she walked back into the dungeon, intending on fighting her way back to the entrance. To her astonishment, though, she was taken immediately back to the entrance of the dungeon.

* * *

The large creature was still there, and it looked up when she exited.

" **Ah, I see you made it. How do you like your new body?** " It inquired pleasantly. Formora smiled broadly in answer.

" **Good, good. I assume you still want to join us?** "

"Yes." Formora stated at once.

" **I'm pleased. I will take you home now, then. It's getting rather late.** " the Pokemon rumbled, looking up at the sky, where the sun was beginning to set. Wait, that wasn't right. It had almost been nighttime when Formora had fallen into the whirlpool.

" **You're in another dimension, remember?"** the creature replied when she voiced her confusion. " **Time is different here. It was October in your world, correct? Well, May has just begun in this world."**

It was May here? That was...odd. That would make her birthday somewhere in July, then.

" **Before I forget, this came with you when I pulled you into this world.** " the creature lifted a forefoot, and Formora was delighted to see her switchblade lying on the ground.

" **Climb on my back. I will fly us there to the base. It'll be much quicker that way."** the creature invited after she took it, laying as flat as it could on the ground.

Gingerly, Formora floated on top of the creature's back, where she found a spot to sit right at the nape of its neck. Its skin was oddly cool and clammy to the touch, despite the warm weather. Its skin felt almost leathery.

" **You're not afraid of heights, are you?"** it asked as it raised its head back toward the sky.

Formora snorted in response. She was from Castelia City, the city of skyscrapers. She'd hung out in buildings taller than this Pokemon.

" **Good. Hold on tight; I am taking off now.** " the creature flapped its black, shadowy wings once, twice, thrice, and suddenly they were airborne. Formora clung tightly to the creature's neck and her knife, knowing that it would be all too easy for her to fall to her doom.

She watched as the land grew smaller and smaller, until they were level with the boxlike building atop the mountain.

The Pokemon flew leisurely towards the building, flapping its wings every so often.

"So...why do you want a Champion?" Formora inquired after a moment of silence.

" **Ah...a few weeks ago, after I had already overthrown Arceus, I overheard It tell Xerneas that It was planning on bringing a human to this world as Its own Champion. The idea of a Champion pleased me. Someone to spread chaos across the land, someone to be my protégée...I liked the thought of brining a human here, to this world, too much to ignore it. It would be revolutionary, something that had never been done before.** " the Pokemon explained as they continued onward toward the mountain. As they got closer Formora could see specks flying around the top of the base. Sentries, maybe?

"Arceus...that's the being who controlled my life, right? Who's Xerneas, then, and how will you prevent Arceus from bringing in Its own Champion?" wondered Formora, displeased at the thought of an enemy Champion.

" **Xerneas is the Life Pokemon. He is the living symbol of life and fertility. He can resurrect the dead, and grant anyone immortality. Unfortunately, he is on Arceus' side, and he eludes my capture. As for Arceus, well, It is closely guarded by Yveltal, Xerneas' brother. Yveltal is the living symbol of death, you see. Also, I can feel whenever this dimension is open. Theoretically, I will sense if Arceus attempts to bring a human here. "**

"But, even if It manages to succeed, the human will just stand out anyway." Formora frowned.

" **Not exactly. Arceus would turn Its human into a Pokemon, just like I did with you. The only difference between you and it would be that Arceus would turn Its human Shiny to make it stand out from normal Pokemon.** "

"...I still don't see how making it Shiny would help camouflage it."

" **Ah, that. Along with the abundance of mystery dungeons lately, Shiny Pokemon have become more and more common as well. These days, you're equally as likely to see a Shiny walking the streets as you are a normal Pokemon. If the Light Champion** _ **were**_ **here, it would be quite the conundrum. So, that is why we have been...detaining...any Shiny we encounter, to make it easier for us to find the Light human.** " the Pokemon explained.

"Wait, but you just said that there's no way Arceus will be able to bring a human here without you knowing!" protested Formora.

" **I said, 'theoretically'.** **You are probably right, but I am a cautious soul. Arceus has access to me and my brothers' abilities; it is entirely possible for It to bring a human here without my noticing. Unlikely, but possible. Hell, perhaps It brought Its Champion here at the same time I brought you here. The point is, now that I have gotten this far, I do not like taking risks. I'd rather not gamble our success on assumptions.** " the creature responded.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Formora frowned.

By now, they had reached the top of the mountain. The base, Formora saw, held two or three stories, and was completely boxlike. On the top was a large tower that stood high up into the sky. In front of the mountain, blue ocean stretched out for about a mile or two. Across the channel, Formora could see a large stretch of land.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to across the channel.

" **That would be the mainland. We're on a small, crescent-shaped island. Be careful; I am landing.** " the monster warned as it began descending.

They landed in a large stone clearing directly in front of the doors to the fortress. A small, narrow path surrounded by deep ditches led down from the top of the mountain, presumably to the beach below. Formora peered down into the ditches below, and saw a number of odd, smooth white stones. Some stones were long and narrow, and others were somewhat circular, with almost identical deep holes all over the fronts of them. Formora frowned. She's never seen stones like these before.

Deciding that she'd ask about them later, Formora turned back to the fortress.

It was chilly, being so high up in the air, but Formora found she rather liked the cold air. It comforted her, made her feel more at ease. The fortress itself was even taller than the creature, surprising as it was. Two massive wood doors were guarded by two identical, pink, fluffy-looking Pokemon. There was a large lever next to the Pokemon on the left.

"Evening, sir." one of them nodded in respect.

"Is this the human?" the other inquired, nodding at Formora. Both of them were female, from the sound of it.

" **Yes, she is. Formora, meet our wonderful door guards, Blissey and Blissey 2. They have stopped many intruders from entering, and they have never let us down.** " the creature said warmly. The two Pokemon blushed, each hiding a bashful smile.

"Hello." Formora greeted shyly, not meeting their eyes. She wasn't adept at social situations. And why would she be? She'd been a loner forever.

"Hello, Milady." the two Blissey chorused, bowing in respect. Formora blinked.

"'Milady'?" she inquired. That was a name she'd certainly never been called before. She went to brush her bangs out of her face, then realized sheepishly that she could no longer do that. She lowered her hand awkwardly.

"Of course. You _are_ our Champion," said the Blissey on the left.

"It would be disrespectful to not call you by your proper title." the other one chimed in.

"O-oh. Um, just 'Formora' is fine. Call me that," Formora said hastily. The honorific title embarrassed her. She was just a street child; she was _definitely_ no lady.

"Very well." the two Blissey chorused yet again.

" **Hm. Well, Formora, I will leave you momentarily. As you can see, the front door is much too small for me to enter. An Absol named Miles is waiting inside. He'll show you to your room, and I will see you there,"** the creature said, spreading his wings in preparation to take off.

"How will you get inside?" Formora asked. She could see no visible entrance large enough for the tall Pokemon.

" **I will return to my own dimension, my former prison. And from there, I will speak to you via scrying. There's a mirror in your room for just such purposes."** the creature explained.

"I see...Um, what is your name?"

" **It is Giratina. I will leave you now, Formora. I will see you in the morning."** Giratina spread his large black wings, and took the skies once more, heading for the ocean.

"We'll open the door for you now, Mi—Formora. Miles is waiting," the Blissey on the left said as they pulled the lever next to them.

With a groan, the large wooden doors slowly swung open, revealing the most exquisite hall Formora had ever seen.

It was as wide as half of Giratina's wingspan, and it was painted a light lavender color, with chandeliers hanging elegantly from the high ceiling at regular intervals. The walls were decorated in colorful paintings, and the floor was made of smooth, white, polished marble that was so clean Formora could see her reflection. It smelled strongly of vanilla.

As Formora gaped at the marvelous scene, a blue-and-white Pokemon stepped forward to greet her.

"Greetings, Milady. My names is Miles, head of Intelligence. It is an honor to make your acquaintance," he said elegantly, bowing.

He stood on four legs, and was covered in white fur, save for his face, tail, and a curious scythe-like appendage on his head. A thick coat of fur covered his chest and the top of his head. Giratina had called him an 'Absol'?

"Um, hi," Formora said awkwardly. "I'm Formora. Call me that."

"As you wish. If you'll follow me, I will show you to your room. It's at the very top of the tower." Miles nodded as he turned around.

As Miles led Formora down the grand hall, she could hear the faint sound of music getting closer and closer.

"What's that noise?" she inquired.

"Hm? Oh, we have a few musicians. They play on Tuesdays and Fridays in the cafeteria. That's why it's so empty here right now; almost everyone goes to listen to them play. Tomorrow I'll give you a proper tour of the compound, Lady Formora." Miles explained kindly as he led her down a few more hallways.

Eventually, he paused in front of a door. It opened on its own, revealing a small, white-and-green Pokemon holding an orange flower.

"Oh! Miles! Hello!" the tiny thing exclaimed.

"Good evening, Flora. How are you?" Miles greeted.

"Just fine! Faun and I are heading to the cafeteria. Who's this with you? Oh! Is she the former-human?" Flora asked in excitement, staring at Formora with shining eyes.

"Yes. Formora, this is Flora, an orange-flower Floette. Flora, this is Formora, our new Champion." Miles introduced.

"Hi!" Flora beamed.

"Hello," Formora said shyly. Then, upon remembering that people liked compliments, "You look...healthy."

Flora brightened.

"Oh my gosh, thank you _so much_ for saying that! I recently stared this new juice cleanse which is supposed to clean my body of toxins. It's working pretty great, right? And I've also switched to a gluten-free diet, because gluten is like, _so_ bad for you. Then I began using this special concealer to help erase any wrinkles. Oh! I also began—"

Aaaaand Formora was bored. She tuned Flora out. Thankfully, the annoying Floette's spiel was interrupted by a voice from the top of the stairs.

"Flora? You there?"

A moment later, an identical Floette floated down the stairs. Well, she wasn't entirely identical to Flora. This one had a white flower instead of an orange one.

"Oh there you are Faun! What took you so long?" Flora pouted playfully. "Ugh, never mind, I know the answer. You and your poetry...Oh! Faun! This is Formora, our Champion! She's _totally_ awesome!"

"Oh? Well, hello, then. I'm Fauna. You've already met my twin sister, judging by the bored look on your face. She has that effect on most Pokemon, I'm afraid. Pleased to meet you. Will you be joining us in the cafeteria?" the white-flower Floette asked.

"Not tonight, I'm afraid. Lord Giratina thought it best to acclimate her slowly." Miles explained, shaking his head.

"Ah. That makes sense. Well, I hope to see you around again. You'll like it here." Fauna smiled at Formora before she and the annoying one left.

Formora and Miles continued up the stairs, to the second floor.

"The first floor is mainly recreation," Miles was explaining as he escorted her down more hallways. "The second floor is where the serious stuff occurs, like gathering intelligence—that's my job—or discussing strategy. One of the big things we study here are mystery dungeons. How many floors each one has, what kind of foes are to be expected...things like that. There are numerous tasks we do here. I'm sure you'll find something you like soon."

They came to another door that led to another staircase. The only difference was, this staircase was in a spiral.

"We've reached the base of the tower. We're almost there," Miles encouraged as they began climbing the staircase.

By the time Formora had reached the top of the tower, she was panting hard and clinging to the rail. So when Miles opened up the ornate silver door leading to her room, she didn't have nearly enough breath to gasp at the sight that awaited her.

There was an actual, working fireplace in the living room, surrounded by two small but fashionably-designed whole couches. The heat from the fire was strangely uncomfortable, but she hardly noticed as he gaped all around the room.

The walls were painted a light cream color, and to her direct left, facing the front wall was a vanity, complete with a large ornate mirror. The carpet was light blue and soft to the touch. To the right from the living room was a small dining area, and there was a door leading to what Formora guessed was the kitchen. To the left of the living room

Two identical white-and-gray Pokemon were inside.

"Welcome, Lady Formora." they chorused.

"This...this is too much..." Formora whispered. She'd never lived anywhere like this before.

"Nonsense! Only the best for our Champion." the Pokemon on the left chided gently.

"Indeed. Formora, these are your two handmaidens, Teysa and Orzhova. They're Cinccinos. They are here to serve your every whim. I will leave you to settle in for the night. Dinner will be brought up shortly. Have a good night." Miles introduced as he closed the door behind him, leaving Formora alone with her... _servants._

What?

"I...um...don't need servants. I can take care of myself. And don't call me 'Lady Formora'." she told the twins sheepishly.

"Apologies, My Lady, but we're under direct orders from Lord Giratina to serve you. Let us take care of your needs. You deserve it, after all you've been through." the Cinccino on the right persuaded.

Formora hesitated, then sighed. Getting to live like a rich person for once certainly sounded nice.

"Fine. But only for a little while. I prefer to take care of myself. And how do I tell you two apart?" she asked.

"I'm Teysa. I will be your actual handmaiden. You'll see me more than you will my sister. I'm slightly taller than her," the Cinccino on the left said.

"And I'm Orzhova. I mostly sleep during the day. At night, it is my duty to guard your door from intruders, and to serve as the first line of defense should someone break in, either day or night. I'm shorter than Teysa, and my voice is slightly lower than hers." the other Cinccino explained, curtsying.

"I...see. Could...one of you wear a barrette or something? You have such minor discrepancies..." Formora hesitated before asking.

"Of course." they chorused.

There was a knock on the door, and Teysa—or was it Orzhova?—opened it, revealing a silver platter filled with various foods Formora had never seen before.

"Oh. Um. I'm not that hungry, actually. I ate right before I was...taken here." Formora felt _odd_ , refusing food. But it was true, she honestly wasn't that hungry.

"Very well then. I'll simply have it donated to a homeless shelter on the island." Teysa/Orzhova bowed. At Formora's astonished face, she added, "Oh, we know what it's like to be hungry. We're not like the Light, who throw away perfectly good food instead of giving it to the poor and homeless. We're not _monsters_."

Formora smiled. They _understood_. They understood what it was like, to be on the brink of starvation every day.

"Let me show you to your bedroom." Teysa—it had to be, for the other one took up a position next to the front door—took her hand and led her to the left side of the room.

There was just one door, and it led to a large master bedroom. Her room was painted white, with a light blue border near the floor. The carpet was a deep purple the same color as the skin underneath her "mask".

Her bed was large and circular, with light blue blankets and cushy red pillows. There was a large canopy above her bed as well. Next to it was a small nightstand with a lit lamp. To her left was a door, and a quick peek let her know that it led to the bathroom.

Strangely, though, aside from the bed and nightstand, the room had absolutely no furnishings.

"We thought we'd let you decorate your own room the way _you_ want it to look like." Teysa explained, smiling broadly. "Feel free to customize it however you wish! If you need me, I will be in the servant's dormitory, which is right behind the dining area. Just knock and I'll arrive. Is there anything I can do for you, Lady Formora?"

"Um...no, thanks. Oh, but could you turn down the fire? It's...rather toasty." Formora wasn't sure how she felt at having her every request obeyed. She was pretty sure she liked it, but it was still a strange feeling.

"Of course, that's not a problem. Anything else?" Teysa curtsied. Formora shook her head.

"Very well. Goodnight, My Lady."

And like that, Teysa was out the door, leaving Formora all alone.

She looked out the window, and she could see the faint outline of the mainland by the risen moon's silvery light. Dark silhouettes of the aerial sentries flew watchfully all around her tower. She observed them, wondering who would be foolish enough to attack a well-defended fortress such as this? Certainly not Arceus.

Then who?

She decided to save that question for tomorrow. She carefully climbed into the bed, which was big enough for three humans to sleep in without worry of touching another, and set her knife down on the nightstand. She sank down a few inches into the mattress.

Formora pulled herself out of the cushy thing long enough for her to turn off the lamp. Then she settled back into bed, and closed her eyes.

And opened them again. She frowned. This mattress was top-quality. It was much more than she'd ever slept on before. The closets thing to an actual bed she'd ever had was her old worn-out mattress back when she was a child. The thing had been lumpy and hard, and only one good jolt away from its stitchings coming undone.

She squirmed around, trying to get comfortable. So such luck; her abused back was more used to sleeping on concrete floors than heavenly softness.

Eventually, she climbed out of bed, took off the top blanket, and settled down on the floor.

 _Muuuuch_ better.

This was what she was more used to. She then realized she never asked what would happen tomorrow. She briefly thought about getting Teysa, but a large yawn made her notice just how tired she was. It must've been the middle of the night back in Castelia. She could save all of her questions tomorrow. Right now, she just wanted to sleep.

It was easier than Formora thought it'd be to nod off.

* * *

 **What I like to do is include actual music from the Mystery Dungeon series to enhance your reading experience :) All rights go to ChunSoft and Nintendo, of course.**

 **The next post will include: classes and allies**


	4. Chapter 4

Formora woke the next morning to someone shaking her awake. She opened her eyes with a start, and was confused when she saw a Cinccino looming over her. Why was a Cinccino here? And where was she? This wasn't Castelia City…

Then she recalled the events of the previous day. She had been turned into a Froslass and brought to another dimension by a giant Pokemon. The Cinccino above her was her servant.

This was her life now.

"Oh, you're up! Why are you on the floor, Milady?" Teysa asked in confusion. Formora saw that the Cinccino now had a small blue flower tucked behind her left ear.

Formora tried to get up, but found she was tangled in her blankets.

"The bed was too soft." Formora replied, struggling to free herself.

"I can get you another mattress if you desire." Teysa offered as she helped Formora untangle herself.

"No, that's fine. I'll adjust eventually." Formora shook her head hastily as she stood up. It was very odd, getting whatever she wanted. It would certainly take some time getting used to.

"Very well. You slept through breakfast downstairs, so it's been brought up here instead." Teysa informed, beckoning for Formora to follow her.

Formora obliged, and Teysa led her to the dining area, where a tray of pancakes and raspberries awaited. Her mouth began watering, and she eagerly dug into the meal, savoring every bite as if it were her last. The food was exquisite, and once she had eaten every bite and drank the last drop of orange juice, she found herself rather sad that the meal was over.

"Would you like more, Milady?" Teysa inquired, bowing slightly. Formora was half-tempted to say yes, but she was eager to see what today would bring as well.

"No, I'm good. I shouldn't overeat." Formora declined.

"Very well. Miles will be here in half an hour. He'll take you on a tour through the compound, and you'll meet most of residents. Call for me if you need anything," Teysa said, curtseying briefly before disappearing through the door in the dining room.

Formora went back to her room and headed into the washroom. Inside was a giant, porcelain tub, and an elegant silver sink. She turned on the sink, pleased that running water existed in this world, and washed her face.

When she was done, she headed back out to the living room, noticing in alarm that the mirror on her vanity was changing color.

" **Good morning, Formora. How did you sleep?** " Giratina's face appeared on the mirror's surface. Formora jumped in surprise, but quickly recovered.

"Fine." she replied.

" **Excellent. Today Miles will show you around the fortress and introduce you to our facilities and residents. In the afternoon, you'll begin your classes.** "

" _Classes?_ " Formora looked up in alarm, remembering her brief week of kindergarten hell.

" **Yes. Don't worry, they're private lessons. You'll be taught how to read, write, do basic arithmetic, learn about the many species of Pokemon, the eighteen types, and about moves. But we'll also teach you the ways of manipulation, lie detection, and intrigue. I think you'll especially enjoy those lessons. Do you think you can handle all of that?** " Giratina asked.

Formora gulped. She wasn't sold on the idea of going back to school, but the subjects Giratina presented would certainly be useful to her in the long run.

"I'll certainly do my best," she said eventually. Giratina nodded in approval.

" **That's what I like to hear. I will leave you to it, then. I'll speak with you at dinner.** " and with that, he vanished, leaving her mirror transparent and reflective once more.

Soon after, Miles knocked on the door.

"Good morning, Formora. Are you ready?" he greeted.

"Good morning. Yes, I am." Formora nodded, inexplicably nervous for some reason.

"Excellent. If you'll follow me, then." Miles turned, and began walking down the spiral staircase. Formora followed him gingerly.

"The tower is where the more advanced-ranking members reside," Miles explained as they trekked down the spire. "There are two rooms to every floor. Yours is the biggest, taking up an entire floor. The floor directly below is currently unoccupied, but Lord Giratina wishes to transfer two Pokemon to them soon. Aside from that, though, all but two of the other rooms are occupied."

Once they reached the bottom of the staircase, Miles opened the door to the second floor. In front of them was a wide hallway, and opposite them were was series of doors.

"Directly in front of you are some of the dormitories. If you head left, you will find balconies overlooking the cafeteria. This is so Lord Giratina has room to address us if he deigns to come into this dimension. South of the balconies are more dormitories." Miles went on as they headed to the right. They paused in front of a fork in the hall. One short path led to the north, but a much longer path led to the east.

Miles turned to the eastern hall.

"This first room on the left is the training room. There you can spar with others to increase your strength. Or you can be taught entirely new moves." Miles explained as he opened the door.

The training room was brightly-lit, and had little decor. A large white circle was painted on the ground, and there were two Pokemon inside of the room. The first one was about as tall as Miles, and had a blue muzzle, body, legs, and tail. Spiky yellow tufts of fur grew on his head, haunches, and front wrists, making him look like he stuck a fork in an electric socket. The second Pokemon was much taller, and had a narrow, serpentine green body. He appeared to almost be wearing some sort of cape, and had leaf-like appendages on the tip of his tail. He gazed regally down at the two with emotionless eyes.

"Oh, hello Miles!" the smaller one greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning, Manectric. Good morning, Gideon. I'm taking Formora, our Champion, on a tour through the base. Formora, these are our sparring coaches and move tutors, Manectric and Gideon the Serperior," Miles said, the latter part to Formora.

"Hi," Formora said shyly.

"Hello there." Manectric beamed, while Gideon said nothing. Formora stared at the imposing Pokemon timidly. Why was he staring at her like that? Manectric caught her look.

"My friend Gid here isn't much of a talker. So, I do most of the talking for him. He's honored to make your acquaintance." Manectric explained.

"O-oh. Um, thank you?" Formora replied uncertainly. Gideon's stare was really making her uncomfortable.

"Well, that's the training room for you. To the left is my place of work, Intelligence. Let me show you around. See you later, Manectric and Gid." Miles waved as he led Formora out of the room. Formora was all too glad to be away from the Serperior's imposing stare.

They headed into the next room, which was slightly smaller than the training room. However, it was packed with tables and Pokemon intensely studying documents and discussing various things.

"Here we are, Intel! This is where we devise methods of attack, defense, and strategy. We work tirelessly to remain one step ahead of our enemies. We study our spies' findings laboriously, and plan out next moves from there. There's Shinx, who's in charge of handling informants. Over there is Team Leviathan, one of our top espionage groups. They've sabotaged many of the Light's schemes to destroy us." Miles introduced as they passed a small blue-and-black Pokemon who was reading a report.

"The Milotic is Fiona. She's an expert in demolition, and is the head of security. Next to her is Axel, a Whiscash. He's great at support, and has multiple assets at his beck and call. The tall fellow next to him is Westley, a Greninja. He used to be a spy for the Firewood City police, but then he received a burn notice. ...That is, he was wrongfully terminated from his job. So he came to work for us. He's the leader of Team L, and a _very_ powerful Pokemon. The last and newest member is the Blastoise, Jes. Jes specializes in counterintelligence. Together, Team L are quite the team."

Miles introduced Formora to the other Pokemon in the room, then they headed back out into the hall.

"To the left are the main dormitories, and that's it for the second floor. Let's head down to the first, shall we?" Miles offered as he led Formora up the hall and to the short hall to the right.

They went down the stairs, and arrived at the first floor. There was a long hallway. To the left was a giant stretch of wall, but the right held two doors.

"Directly to the right of us is the classroom, where Pokemon are educated. There are a lot of Pokemon like you who haven't received a proper education. We also use this room for counseling sessions. This long room to the left of us is what we refer to as 'Dungeon Alley'. In there you'll find all of your dungeon-related shops and services. We'll visit there in a second. Past the classroom is the rec room, where you'll find things like darts, billiards, and cards. If you ever just need to relax, head in there." Miles explained as they came to a four-way intersection. To the right was a short hall, up ahead was some sort of large room (Formora couldn't really tell from this distance) and to the left was a long hall leading to the entrance.

"The hall to the right leads to a storage closet. Let's head into Dungeon Alley, shall we?" Miles suggested as he led Formora to the left hall. Immediately to the left was a door. Miles opened it, revealing a plethora of colorful stalls. Multiple Pokemon sat behind the benches.

"This is Dungeon Alley! They offer many goods for sale. Over to your direct left is Mienshao. She sells things like apples, seeds, and throwing items. Opposite her is Lombre. He offers Wonder Orbs and Keys. He—"

"What are Wonder Orbs? And why does he sell keys? Keys to _what_?" Formora interrupted.

"Wonder Orbs are orbs that, upon breaking, have various effects. Some make enemies fall asleep, some teleport you, and others tell you the exact layout of the floor. You'll learn more about them soon. As for Keys, occasionally you'll come across a locked door in a dungeon. Only a Key can open them. But Keys are hard to come by naturally, so you can buy some at Lombre's stall. Bear in mind, they are _very_ expensive. Anyway, to the right of Lombre is Sunflora. She stores people's items for them for free. If you have excess items that you want to keep but don't have room for, just give them to Sunflora and she'll keep them safe for you! Across from her is Purugly, who runs the bank. I will warn you, Purugly is not a pleasant Pokemon. She rubs everyone the wrong way, so don't let her bother you too much. Next to her is Hitmonchan. Sometimes enemy Pokemon will drop locked Boxes. If you bring them to Hitmonchan, he'll open them for you for a fee. And finally, across from him is Skrelp. Skrelp runs the Swap Shop. He doesn't talk much. Rare items made exclusively for certain Pokemon can be found in Boxes. You can combine them in his Swap Cauldron for better, rarer items. Come, I'll introduce you. There's a door leading to where we're heading next behind Skrelp anyway." Miles beckoned as he led Formora down the long hall, introducing her to the various shopkeepers.

Mienshao was a gracious and charming Pokemon who readily accepted Formora as a new member. She gave the former-human a free Reviver Seed in welcome. Lombre was more carefree, taking a more hedonistic view to life. Purugly, on the other hand...It was as Miles had told her. The sour, portly cretin scowled and huffed repeatedly at her. It was as if Formora had offended her simply by existing. Thankfully, Sunflora was more friendly. The smiling woman eagerly put Formora's new Reviver Seed in storage, and cheerily wished her to have a good day. Hitmonchan was a loud, boisterous man who could be heard all down the alley. More than once Purugly bellowed at him to pipe down. Skrelp was the opposite of Hitmonchan. He stared silently and sullenly at Formora, offering only a muttered 'hello'.

Once Formora had been acquainted with the shopkeepers of Dungeon Alley, Miles led her through the door next to Skrelp, and she found herself at the end of a long hall leading to the right.

There were only two rooms opposite her in this corridor, but both were quite large, and both had transparent glass on the front side, leaving them completely open to view from this hall.

"The room right in front of us is the basketball court. Sometimes we play dodgeball or four square. Honestly it all depends on what people want to play." Miles shrugged as he began walking down the hall.

The basketball court had a few Pokemon in it playing a casual game of basketball. She's seen people play the odd game back in Castelia before, and she had to admit the game had looked sort of interesting. But all the same, she wasn't about to ask how to play anytime soon. She didn't want to be teased.

"—And here's the pool. Towels are located inside," Miles was saying once she had caught up to him.

"But there's the ocean outside; why do you need a pool?" Formora objected, confused.

"Personal preference, mostly. Some people don't want to be around rip tides or non-Dark Pokemon travelling through the channel. Also, we have multiple Pokemon guarding our base from the ocean; too many Pokemon playing there would be quite the distraction. Plus, we have diving boards and a couple water slides in here." Miles explained kindly as they moved on.

Soon they came to the intersection that led to the entrance to the left. Miles led her forward, and there were three large rooms on the left side of this part of the hall, plus a small narrow door at the very end. The entire right side was bare, save for a lonely set of double doors.

"This first room on the left leads to the weight room. Don't go in there alone; always have a spotter in case you get into trouble. After that is the infirmary for...obvious reasons. The doors on the right lead to the cafeteria, which we'll enter in just a moment. The third room on the left leads to the trampoline-slash-ball pit room."

Formora stopped at stared at Miles in disbelief.

"You have a room entirely dedicated to trampolines and ball pits?"

"Yes."

" _Why?_ "

"Eh, it's not really my thing, but last year we held a survey asking residents what they wanted added to the base. For reasons beyond my comprehension, this was the most suggested. So we implemented it. It's been a huge hit." Miles shrugged, shaking his head wearily.

"I see."

The door to the ball pit/trampoline room opened, and two Floette came out, each laughing and giggling.

"Oh, hi Miles! Hi Formora! Are you going in? It's, like, _totally_ awesome in there!" the Floette with the orange flower beamed at them.

Ah, she knew these two. Flora and Fauna. But she couldn't remember which one was which…

"Hello, girls. No, I'm taking Lady Formora on a tour of the base." Miles shook his head.

"Cool. Well, we won't keep you. C'mon, Flora," the white-flower Floette said to her sister as they moved pat the two.

Flora was the orange-flower Floette then. Formora could tell them apart now. Fl **o** ra had an **o** range flower. Easy.

After the odd room was the narrow door. It was black, and was surrounded on either side by two lit candles.

"This leads to the dungeon." Miles informed in a serious tone. Formora looked at him.

"The...dungeon?"

"Yes, that's right. This is where we keep our captured enemies. No one has ever escaped. Our warden...well, she's very, _very_ , good at her job and her...hobbies," Miles said in a strong, emotionless tone. Formora stared warily at the door. Just what went on behind it…?

After a tense, silent moment, Miles shook his head and turned around.

"We're almost done with the tour. Just two more stops," he said encouragingly as he led Formora back down the hall and to the left this time.

Once they had reached the doors leading to the cafeteria, Formora could hear music coming from inside. Miles did not enter the cafeteria, however. Instead, he turned towards the hall leading to the second-floor stairs, and Formora noticed with curiosity that to the right of her were a giant set of ornate silver doors.

"What's in there?" she inquired.

"That is the door to Antithesis Cavern. It leads directly into Lord Giratina's dimension, once you get past the mystery dungeon part of it. Don't ever enter through those doors unless you wish to enter his dimension. Once you step past them, the doors will close, and they will remain shut until you reach the halfway mark of the dungeon. There's no other method of escape, and that dungeon is no easy trek. Be careful." Miles warned.

Then he turned around, and headed into the cafeteria.

Formora took one last look at the silver doors, then entered behind him.

* * *

The cafeteria was _big_. It was easily tall enough to house Giratina, and held enough tables to seat almost everyone in Castelia City. Well, actually, that was an exaggeration, but the room could hold a good number of Pokemon. There were at least twenty Pokemon sitting at the tables, all listening to the six Pokemon playing on the stage to the right. There was one long, giant table closest to the stage. The chairs were more elegant and thronelike than the rest, and there was enough space between that table and the stage for Giratina to stand comfortably. Above the stage was a mirror that stretch from a few yards above the floor all the way to the ceiling. That must be where Giratina entered the room, then.

On the wall opposite Formora was a buffet-type setup, from what Formora could tell. Miles began walking to the stage just as the musicians finished their song. An appreciative round of applause came from the small audience.

The Pokemon in front of the microphone was around her size and colored purple. He had two large blue wings on top and two smaller ones towards his feet. He was busy talking to his bandmates.

"I'd say that one was pretty good. Although, Gabite, you're starting way too soon," he was saying to a tall, violet Pokemon holding a guitar. The guitarist had sharp fangs and claws, with a red belly.

"I know...I'm just nervous that I'll come in too late." Gabite sighed.

"S'all right, no one's perfect. We'll just practice some more, is all. Oh, heya Miles. What's up?" the lead singer greeted upon noticing Miles and Formora.

"Hello Sorin. Just taking our new Champion Formora here on a tour. You all practicing for Friday?" Miles greeted in return.

"New Champion, eh? Hello, Lady Formora. I'm Sorin, and the lead singer of this little band. Pleasure to meet you. And yes, Miles, we're just rehearsing before we have to attend to our duties." Sorin bowed.

"Ah, just 'Formora' will do. What Pokemon are you?" Formora asked timidly.

"Sorin's a Crobat. And I'm Azumarill, of the same species!" the drummer beamed broadly at her.

"I'm Gabite, and I do rhythm guitar." Gabite nodded.

"Name's Charmeleon. I'm the bassist." a red Pokemon around her size grinned. The tip of his tail was on fire, but he didn't seem to care.

"My name is Gothorita. I do piano, violin, and backup guitar. Sometimes I sing instead of Sorin." a smaller black Pokemon with white frills curtseyed elegantly.

Formora eyed her. This was Gothorita? As Giratina had said, there was a large scar on her right arm. So he hadn't been lying after all.

"Giratina told me your story. I'm...sorry that happened to you," Formora said quietly. Gothorita's face became sober.

"Thanks. I don't think about it much. It's just a part of my past. But I control my future." Gothorita replied.

Formora turned to the last member, a small, frizzy-furred purple Pokemon with big blue eyes. She was holding a guitar that was four times her size by some sort of psychic field.

"I'm Cate. I'm an Espurr, and I'm the lead guitarist," the tiny Pokemon said shyly, not meeting Formora's eyes.

"Catie's the best lead guitarist you could ask for! Seriously, she's awesome!" Gabite boomed, clapping Cate heartily on the back. Cate stumbled, but managed to right herself before she fell.

"Yes, Cate is certainly talented." Sorin nodded warmly. Cate's entire face turned red with embarrassment.

"If I may ask, why did you guys join the Dark?" Formora inquired. Sorin sighed.

"Ah, that. My story isn't as sad as the others'. But...there was this girl. A Swablu named Jane. I was in love with her, but I could never seem to catch her attention. Then I learned that Jane liked guys who weren't afraid to break the law. I instantly joined up with the Dark, hoping that would get her to notice me. But by the time I returned home to tell her, she'd fallen in love with someone else. I was heartbroken. Within two years they were engaged. I stayed with the Dark because I'd made some new friends, and I had become part of an exploration team that I enjoy working with. I just sort of stayed on." Sorin shrugged.

"You know of my story already," Gothorita told her. Charmeleon sighed.

"About ten years ago, I met a Beautifly. We dated for a few months, but I broke it off because she was too clingy. But she didn't leave me alone after that. I'd wake up in the middle of the night to sounds outside my house. When I'd open the door to see what was going on, I'd always catch a glimpse of her flying away. She followed me _everywhere_. Work, home, the store, I was never alone. Sometimes I'd catch her staring at my house from the street. I was frightened. I told her many, _many_ times to leave me alone, but she _wouldn't_. I was afraid she'd escalate into breaking into my home or worse. She'd call my phone _constantly_. I changed numbers like, hundreds of times, but somehow...she always found my new number. She drove off pretty much every woman I knew. She wanted to be the only female in my life, meaning even my friends and family were not allowed to contact me. I called the police, but they told me they couldn't do anything. It's not illegal to follow someone. I sank into paranoia. Everywhere I looked, she was there. I couldn't even escape from her in my dreams! I was in a living hell! Then, one day...I couldn't take it anymore. I snapped. The next time she came to my house in the middle of the night...I was ready with a baseball bat. Three solid whacks, and she was gone. Forever. I was finally free from her. I was arrested the next day. I agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. I was sentenced to eight years, got out in six for being a model prisoner. But a lot changes in six years. I was unemployed, and spiraled into a deep depression. I took to alcohol, as that was the only thing that let me escape my reality. Then I met Sorin and his team. They saw what a wreck I was, and they took me here. I got help, and now I collect dungeon items and play bass for a living. I'm three years sober, and I couldn't be happier." he narrated.

"Oh...wow…" Formora murmured. Everyone turned to Cate.

"M-me? Oh...okay. Um, let's see...When I was still an Egg, my parents abandoned me in the street. I grew up literally all by myself in the middle of Firewood City. I lived on the street for years, and I knew that I had to find some way of supporting myself. So I found an old guitar that someone had thrown out, and I taught myself how to play. I'd sit on the sidewalk, playing tunes all day. People would sometimes toss in a few Poke as a tip. It wasn't easy, though. I had many more bad-revenue days than good-revenue days. There were a few times that I thought I wouldn't survive, but I never let myself give up. I just kept on playing. Then last year, I saw a face in a puddle. It had been raining hard that day, and I was huddled in the corner of an alley, trying to keep myself dry by holding a newspaper above my head. Then out of nowhere, I saw this grotesque face in the puddle in front of me. The face introduced himself as Giratina, and asked me if I'd like to have a roof over my head and food to eat. I ignored him, thinking that I had gone crazy. But the next day, a Pokemon named Shinx came to me. He asked if I had seen a face called Giratina in a puddle, and I was astounded that he knew about my hallucination. Shinx explained that the face was real, and that his offer of shelter was valid. He took me here, and I've been in the base ever since." Cate explained. Azumarill put down his drumsticks, looking ruefully at Formora.

"My turn. Where to begin…? I lived with my mother all my life. My father had passed away shortly before I was born. My mother...she was always sick throughout my childhood. I can't remember a single day that she was well. As I got older, the more her condition deteriorated. We spent thousands of Poke on treatments, but the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Then, before my sixteenth birthday, we learned of a medicine that should be able to cure her. But it cost _100,000 Poke_. We were dirt poor by that point; there was no way we could afford that. I begged the manufacturer to let us have it. But they refused. I showed them pictures of my bedridden mother with her gaunt face, her hollow eyes, her lesioned skin. Still they refused. Then, exactly on my seventeenth birthday, my mother died. I coped by fueling all of my sadness into rage. Rage at life, rage at whoever decided to take my mother from me, but most of all, rage at the people who refused to cure my mother. I joined up with the Dark when I learned that many places refused to treat people who couldn't pay for it. We've given tons of medicine to the sick and poor ever since. I'm certain that my mother would be proud of me," Azumarill said, wiping a tear from his eye. Gabite raised his hand.

"For me, well...my parents had...strict beliefs. If I deviated from their values in any way, I was heavily punished. So when I was caught kissing my best friend—who was male, mind you—they flipped. I was immediately kicked out of the house and disowned. I lived on the street, like Cate, until I came across two Pokemon entering a nearby dungeon. When they emerged, they looked so...joyful. I asked them what they were doing, and they told me they were exploring a dungeon. I told them that they looked like they were having the best time of their lives. They agreed, and asked me if I wanted to join them. I hesitated at first, but eventually I said yes. They introduced themselves as Hitmontop and Simisage of Team Prism, and they brought me here. A couple days later, I became an official member of Team Prism as well, and we've been exploring and mapping dungeons ever since! That's them over there, by the way," Gabite said, pointing to a small brown Pokemon and a tall green Pokemon sitting near the center of the room.

Formora bowed her head. All of these stories made her glad she would be working to help those like her and the musicians.

"What about you, dear Champion?" Sorin inquired softly.

Formora told them her own story, and the six nodded in understanding.

"We are certainly proud to welcome you to our arms, Formora. You won't be disappointed." Sorin bowed.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" someone in the audience called.

"Come on over here and meet our new Champion!" Sorin told them.

The small audience stood up, and wandered over to the stage. There, Formora met Spritzee and Togetic of Team Faerie, Azumarill's team. She also met Gabite's partners Hitmontop and Simisage, who made up Team Prism. Next was Team Purple, composed of Charmeleon and Croconaw. It was an odd name, but Formora wasn't about to criticize them for it. Then came Team Divinity, of which Gothorita was the leader of. Her subordinates consisted of Flareon, Pachirisu, and Finneon. Formora also met Team Radiance, composed of Leafeon, Luxio, Fauna, and to her annoyance, Flora. Then there was Team Star, whose only member was a Pokemon named Cleffa. Another one-man team was Team Serene, composed of Altaria. Finally, there was Sorin's team, Team Jacks.

Team Jacks consisted of an Alakazam named Jace, a Ditto named Ashi, a Typhlosion named Chandra, and an Octillery named Kiora. Sorin helpfully explained to her what kinds of Pokemon his teammates were. Formora struggled hard to keep the names of all these species of Pokemon in her memory.

"Why's your name Team Jacks?" she asked.

"It's what the first letters of our names spell: **J** ace **, A** shi **, C** handra **, K** iora **, S** orin." Jace explained kindly.

"I still think it's a stupid name." Chandra grumbled, crossing her arms.

"You wanted our team name to be 'Team _Fire_ '. You're the only fire-type." Ashi glared at Chandra in a completely androgynous voice. The Ditto's voice could be described as either a deep feminine voice or a high masculine voice.

"Are you male or female?" Formora asked Ashi. Someone in the audience tsked while someone else gasped.

"Don't worry, I get that a lot. The answer is: neither. I'm an 'it'." Ashi shrugged good-naturedly.

"Hm. Well, anyways, it's time for us to set out." Jace announced. All of the other musicians' team members agreed.

"Is it? Alright. We'll rehearse tomorrow, same time." Sorin told his bandmates, who agreed.

Everyone minus Cate, Miles, and Formora exited the cafeteria.

"Do you belong to a team?" Formora asked the tiny purple Cate.

"I do, but I don't know where they are." she shrugged.

As if on cue, two Pokemon barged into the cafeteria, slamming open the door.

"CATE! There you are! Where have you _been_?! We were supposed to be on the road two hours ago!" a small, furry, brown-and-cream Pokemon stormed. Cate blanched.

"I told you guys I was going to rehearse with the band this morning! You didn't tell me we were leaving early." she responded, looking down at the ground.

"Yes we did; you were there yesterday when we made plans for today," the other Pokemon, a floating red-and-blue androgynous thing, said angrily.

"Oh. I'm sorry…" Cate whispered.

"Hmph! Just come on. You won't be doing any of your stupid rehearsals tomorrow." the brown-and-cream Pokemon sniffed, pulling Cate out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Formora asked Miles once they were alone. Miles looked at her sympathetically.

"Lord Giratina put Cate with Team Supernova, composed of a Porygon-Z named Troja—the red and blue one—and Marvel the Furret—the brown and cream one. They're a dungeon-exploration group. Cate's not really cut out for it, though, and the others haven't taken a liking to her." he explained.

Formora frowned, not liking how Cate was treated.

"Anyways, you should head on over to the classroom. It's time for your private lessons. You'll like your instructor, a Larvesta named Simon. He's one of the best we have. Do you remember the way?" Miles asked.

"Yes, I do." Formora nodded.

"Excellent. You can go on by yourself; I have something I need to speak to the warden about," Miles said as he left Formora.

She thought briefly about not going to the lesson, but decided against it and cautiously made her way to the room. She opened the door, finding a large room filled with desks and chairs. There was a whiteboard on the back wall, and a small white-and-red Pokemon was inside. He looked up when she entered,

"Ah, you must be Formora. Welcome! I'm Simon, and it is an honor to make your acquaintance," the small Pokemon said pleasantly.

"Hi," Formora said warily, taking a seat towards the center of the room.

"Before we start, do you have any questions?" Simon asked as he climbed on top of a small box in front of the board. Formora thought, then nodded.

"Yes. I keep hearing this thing called the 'Light', and that it wants to annihilate us. Why? What is it?"

"Ah, excellent question! The Light is not a tangible organism, you see. It is a movement made up of thousands of Pokemon. We are the Dark, a group of Pokemon who wish to help those like us and punish those who turn a blind eye to the suffering that goes on right in front of them. The Light wishes to keep things how they are right now. They wish for poverty, prejudice, and inequality. They prefer to live their ignorant, preppy lives while the rest of us are left behind. The leader of the Light is Arceus, but since It has been captured, the closest things to leaders the Light now have are Cresselia and Xerneas." Simon explained passionately.

"I've heard of Xerneas, but who's Cresselia?" asked Formora, settling into her chair. Simon beamed.

"Allow me to tell you…"

* * *

Hours later, Formora emerged from the classroom smiling and joyful. Simon had begun to teach her the 720 species of Pokemon and their types. She also learned how to count to one trillion, whereas before she'd only known how to count to twenty. Afterwards, Simon had taught her how to spot a liar. Before, she'd always relied on her instincts, but now she knew to look for sweating, unmet eyes, too many details in a conversation, changes in confidence, and contradictions in stories.

She had very much enjoyed that final lesson, and was even looking forward to tomorrow's subjects.

But for right now, it was dinnertime. And she was hungry.

Formora headed into the cafeteria, taken aback by how crowded it was now. Pokemon were everywhere, from waiting in line to sitting at the tables chatting with one another.

She felt overwhelmed, suddenly reminded of the hustle of Castelia City. She couldn't do this; she couldn't stand being near all these many Pokemon!

But she got her fears under control. She could do this. She could.

Bracing herself, she stepped in line and impatiently waited her turn, marveling at how there was enough food for all of these Pokemon. When it was her turn, she grabbed a tray and took a plate of one of everything off the bar. Behind the bar she could see various Pokemon running to and fro as they worked in the kitchen.

Once her tray was laden with food, she hesitated. Where should she sit?

She caught Miles' eye halfway across the room. He was sitting at the long table up front, and he beckoned for her to join him. Seeing as he was the only one she really knew, she obliged.

When she came over, Miles gestured to the seat next to him, at the center of the table. It was the biggest of them all, and was decorated in red cushions.

"This is where you'll sit, Formora. This is the Champion's chair," he said kindly.

She sat down on the cushy chair awkwardly, feeling the stares of the other Pokemon at the table on her. Thankfully, though, there weren't that many Pokemon seated with her. There was Miles, Gideon, Manectric, Team Leviathan, and five other Pokemon she didn't recognize.

"You are our Champion? Hm, eet's nice to meet you," the Pokemon sitting across from her said in a strange accent, holding out a paddle-like, teal hand. There were three claws on the end of her arms, and her mouth was just a gaping hole surrounded in sharp teeth. Her body was long and teal, with a cream-colored belly. There were specks of red all over her body, like she had gotten red paint on her.

"Uh, thanks." Formora replied, awkwardly shaking the Pokemon's hand. "I'm Formora."

"Oksana Ivanova, Eelektross extraordeenaire! I'm the warden of the dungeen." the Pokemon grinned wolfishly.

Oh. So _this_ was the warden Miles had been talking about earlier.

"So you just guard prisoners all day?" Formora guessed, thinking that sounded rather boring. Oksana's grin deepened.

"That, and I also do science expereements, and geeve my 'tenants' what they rightfully deserve. Right now I'm trying to come up weeth a way to _manually_ eenduce Locked-een Seendrome."

"What's that?" Formora asked as she took a bite of salad. She was starting to get used to Oksana's light accent. Oksana's eyes brightened.

"Oh, eet ees a _wonderful_ condeetion een wheech a Pokemon ees completely conscious, but cannot move or speak. They can only move their eyes. Normally eet's brought on by a stroke or neurologeecal damage. But I'd rather have a way of eenducing eet weethout keeling them 90% of the time…"

"Why would you want to do that?" Formora frowned, frightened that such a condition existed. To be awake but unable to move or speak...that was truly terrifying.

"Because eet ees _heelarious_." Oksana chuckled darkly. Formora shuddered, and turned away from the twisted Pokemon and towards the last four Pokemon.

"Hi. We're Team Terra. I'm Katrina. And these are my conspirators, Sumatra, Tohoku, and Vesuvius. Pleased to meet you," the closest Pokemon said, nodding graciously at Formora. She had a long white neck and body, with large wings and blue torso.

"Swanna, Lapras, Torterra, and Camerupt, respectively." Miles whispered to her.

"Hello," Formora said briefly before returning to her food.

Once she thought she could eat no longer, Miles tapped her arm.

"How's your first day?" he asked kindly. Formora smiled at him.

"Amazing. I can't wait for tomorrow." she replied.

Miles was interrupted by the sound of the doors opening. Three Pokemon entered the cafeteria, and the room quieted down a bit, staring at the trio who were getting food.

The first one was tall and green, with pink tendrils sticking out of his neck, making him look almost like a flower. The second one was smaller, and a smoky gray color. She had a short yellow tail and a long extension on the back of her head. Her mouth was just a closed zipper. The third was tiny, and appeared to be a rock with two brown barnacles.

The trio got their food, and came over to the table Formora sat.

"How'd it go?" Miles inquired. The gray one grinned.

"The target's been dealt weeth," she said in an accent exactly like Oksana's, only thicker.

"Excellent." Miles nodded. The trio then noticed Formora.

"Who are you?" the green one asked.

"I'm Formora. The Champion of Darkness." Formora replied. The rock-thing raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, so you're the former-human? Hm. I see," he said in an unimpressed voice.

"Who are you three?" Formora returned.

"We're the Assassin's Guild, Team Miasma. I'm the leader, Cradily, and these are Sonya and Binacle," the green one said, nodding at the gray one and then the rock-thing.

"Son's a Banette." Miles whispered to Formora, who nodded.

"Sonya's my seester~" Oksana chimed in, stretching lazily in her chair. That certainly explained the similar accents.

"Yes, we are. Half-seesters, anyweh. We come from another country, acruss the ocean." Sonya nodded as she delicately began eating.

"I see…" Formora said, not comfortable at being so close to trained killers.

A few minutes later, Formora heard a noise behind her. She turned, and gasped as the large mirror on the back wall was turning into a purple maelstrom, like the whirlpool that had brought her to this world.

A large white entity came out of the maelstrom, growing larger and larger. Two tattered wings could be seen taking shape, and soon the figure stopped growing. The white glow disappeared, revealing Giratina himself.

A loud cheer went up from the crowd.

" **Hello, everyone. I hope you've enjoyed your dinner. Let's give a hand to our talented kitchen staff for all of their hard work, shall we?"** he rumbled.

Everyone enthusiastically began clapping and cheering. The noise made Formora long to be somewhere more quiet. Once everyone had settled down, Giratina continued.

" **Our enemies have been hard-pressed to try and stop us. But they are far from succeeding! They will soon learn that their efforts to control us are** _ **futile!**_ " he roared. Another loud, heartfelt cheer came from the seated Pokemon.

" **That is why we cannot tarry in our efforts to destroy the Light! We have the advantage; it will not do to become lax and let all of our hard work be for nought! No revolution is worth anything unless it can defend itself! Let us continue forward in our quest to bring this world to heel!"** Giratina exclaimed passionately.

As the crowd once again cheered, Formora was surprised to find that she was cheering along with them. After a moment, Giratina settled down.

" **As you all know, I have been thinking about giving us a Champion. A Champion of** _ **Darkness**_ **. Well, everyone, she is here! The lovely Froslass sitting here in front of me is our new Champion! She has suffered greatly like the rest of you. While she is a former-human from another world, she shows great promise, and I am certain she will make us all proud. Welcome her to our home!"** he nodded, gesturing towards Formora.

Formora felt hundreds of eyes stare at her, and she sank down in her chair, feeling her face turn red and wishing she were anywhere but here as the others cheered at her.

" **That is all for today. I will leave you to continue your work towards a brighter future. Enjoy the rest of your evening! You all certainly deserve a night off. Team Miasma, I see you've returned. I will hear your full report later,"** Giratina said as he shot out a gust of wind at the mirror. When the gust touched the surface, it began turning into the purple maelstrom. Giratina entered the mirror, then it returned back to normal.

Formora turned around, and widened her eyes in alarm as Pokemon began walking towards her.

"Hiya Formora! What did you think of Giratina's speech?" Flora beamed, coming up to Formora for no damn reason. Formora swallowed a retort and forced herself to be nice.

"I thought it was inspiring." she replied honestly. Flora nodded.

"Oh, yeah, all of his speeches are like that. They just keep getting better and better! Like, the first time he gave a speech, it was _soooo_ boring. Like, I was nodding off. Can you believe that? Oh, how embarrassing…."

"Okay, chatterbox, leave the Froslass alone." Formora sent a thankful look at Fauna, who had come up to her table to drag Flora away.

Unfortunately, other Pokemon wanted to meet Formora. She was forced to sit there as she met some of the other residents. There was Team Nocturne, composed of Spiritomb, Quilava, and Duosion. Next there was Team Marauder, Team Nocturne's rivals, whose members were Absol, Tranquill, and Hippopotas. Next came Team Necro, who had two members who looked almost exactly alike. There was Chlorr, who called herself a 'Blade Aegislash', and Clariel, who was a 'Shield Aegislash'. After them came Team Gold, comprised of Totodile, Baltoy, and Purrloin. The penultimate group to introduce themselves to Formora were Team Draco, whose members were Hydreigon, Sliggoo, and Trapinch. The final Pokemon to say hello to her was Carbink, who was the one-and-only member of Team Topaz.

Thankfully, though, everyone else left her alone.

Most of the Pokemon she had met were friendly enough, but there were also a few who disapproved of her presence. They disliked the thought of a once-human gaining such a powerful position. Spiritomb, Team Necro, Hydreigon, and Baltoy made no attempts to hide their dislike of Formora. Formora didn't particularly care. She would have felt the same way in their shoes. But there wasn't much she could do about it; all she could do was try and prove to them she was worthy of her title. Team Miasma also didn't seem to like her very much either, but Formora had the feeling they thought of her as a child playing adult rather than as a threat.

"There are a couple of hours till dark," Formora jumped when she heard Miles speak. "What would you like to do?"

"Uh…" Formora's mind drew a blank. "I'm a bit worn out from today. There's a lot to take in. I think I'll just head to my room."

"Understandable. Do you need me to guide you there?" Miles offered.

"No, that's fine. I remember the way." Formora shook her head. She was adept at memorizing maps. Years of breaking into places did that to you. You never knew when you'd need an escape plan.

She got up from the table, and headed up to the second floor, and then the tower. She climbed the tall flight of stairs to the top floor.

Panting heavily, she turned the knob and flopped down on one of her couches.

"Good evening, Milady. May I be of service?" Teysa appeared from out of nowhere.

"Wha…? Oh, no. I'm not going to be doing much tonight. I'll probably take a bath here soon." Formora shrugged indifferently.

"Very well." Teysa bowed, and headed into Formora's room.

"What are you doing?" demanded Formora. Teysa didn't even pause.

"I'm going to run a bath for you, as you said you would like to do," she said, not skipping a beat as she entered Formora's room. Formora followed her.

"I can do that myself." Formora protested, half-bluffing. She hadn't taken a bath since she was a toddler. She'd forgotten how to handle the temperature and spigot, but she could certainly figure it out by herself. Teysa raised her hands in defeat.

"Very well. I'll leave you to it," the Cinccino said, exiting her room.

Formora had the distinct feeling Teysa didn't believe her. Well. She'd show _her_.

Formora entered the bathroom, and cautiously turned one of the faucets. Nothing happened. She tried turning on the next faucet, and to her satisfaction, water started spouting from the spigot. But when Formora dipped a hand into the water, she shrieked with pain, jerking her arm back.

That water was _piping hot_.

She tried turning the faucet down, which certainly lessened the heat to a more tolerable degree, but that changed the water so that only a trickle was pouring into the tub.

Formora was confused, but she certainly was _not_ going to call Teysa over to help.

After a lot of trial-and-error, Formora finally got the water to pour at the right temperature and right amount of power.

But then a new problem presented itself. The water wasn't filling up the tub; it was just flowing down the drain. She frowned, but then she recalled a hazy memory of putting a stopper into the drain.

She looked around, and spotted a black rubber plug lying on the edge of the bathtub. She put it into the drain, and waited patiently while the tub filled.

* * *

The moon was rising by the time Formora was done in the bathroom. She felt refreshed, ready to tackle whatever came at her.

Teysa knocked on the door, asking if there was anything Formora wanted done. Formora sent Teysa away, and climbed into bed. She was determined to sleep on the darn thing tonight, even though it made her back ache.

She grabbed the book Simon had sent up to her, and opened it. It was a picture book of all the different species of Pokemon. Her homework was to try and learn them all.

She spent an hour going over the names in her head, then turned off the lamp, and closed her eyes.

It took her a long time to get comfortable on the mattress, but eventually she fell asleep.

* * *

 **My goodness, all of the references. It's practically an 'About Remi' post.**

 **Helpful (I hope) guide to Son and 'Sana's accents:**

 **-Across=Acruss ('aw' is changed to a sort of 'uh', like in 'hull')**

 **-Away=Aweh ('ay' is changed to 'eh')**

 **-Is=ees ('ih' is changed to 'ee')**

 **So, our protagonist is getting settled into her new life. What evil deeds will she do first?**

 **The next post will include: practicing moves, dungeon exploration, and a traitor.**


	5. Chapter 5

Formora was woken unexpectedly from her slumber by the sound of an angry shout coming from her living room. There was the sound of a brief scuffle, then suddenly all was quiet. She rubbed her eyes, and sat up in bed just as Teysa burst into her room. ...No, it was Orzhova, not Teysa. There was no flower behind her ear.

"My Lady! Are you alright?!" Orzhova demanded worriedly. Formora blinked sleepily as she turned on the lamp.

"Yeah. Why?" she yawned. What was going on? Orzhova breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness…"

"What's going on?" asked Formora, her hand hovering over her switchblade on the nightstand.

"There was an intruder. He Teleported to the living room, but he wasn't expecting me. I couldn't KO him in time before he Teleported away. I'm so glad you aren't hurt…" Orzhova explained.

Formora's eyes widened. Someone had come into her room? Why?

"Oh, don't worry, Milady. If he's smart, he's running far away from here." Orzhova grinned viciously. "Because I know who he is. I saw him. Natu, from Team Valor. Teysa's alerting the night guards, and they'll be hunting him shortly. I'm certain he was working alone, so I do not think there will be any more attempts on your life tonight."

"'Attempts on my life'?"

"I saw a knife in his hand." Orzhova's face was grim.

Someone tried to _kill_ her?!

"Why would he try to kill me?" Formora screeched, looking all around her bare room as if killers would spring from the shadows.

"If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say he was a spy for Cresselia hoping to hurt our cause by killing our Champion. But that is _exactly_ why I guard you. If I hadn't been on guard…" Orzhova shuddered. "Well, anyway, I doubt he will return, and I am sure he was working alone-Cresselia's spies often do-so I believe there will be no more disturbances."

Formora blinked. How could she think about going back to sleep when someone she'd never even met had just tried to murder her?

"I can get you some tea to calm your nerves if you'd like." Orzhova offered.

Formora wasn't that thirsty, but she was certainly tense. She nodded, and Orzhova left, returning five minutes later with a cup of brown liquid.

Formora sipped the drink cautiously. It was hot, and had a bittersweet taste to it. She didn't really like the taste of the tea, but the flavor it left in her mouth was much more pleasant. She slowly drank all of it, feeling herself relax as she did so.

"I'll be right outside, Milady. Call for me if you need anything," Orzhova said as she took the cup and left her room.

Formora turned to look at the night sky, but it was much too dark to see anything. She turned back to her door, imagining assassins bursting in. She thrust the thought out of her mind, not wanting to dwell on what-ifs.

After a while, she started to get drowsy. Whatever had been in that tea had certainly made her tired. She allowed herself to go back to sleep, trusting that Orzhova would protect her.

* * *

She woke late the next morning, yawning profusely. She got up and stretched, then went to the bathroom to wash her face.

She went into the living room, finding Teysa tidying up the area.

"Good morning, Milady. I'm sorry we had such a scare last night...Are you alright?" she asked concernedly.

"Yeah, I wasn't hurt. Was...was he captured?" Formora asked nervously. Teysa shook her head.

"Not just yet. Natu can Teleport, which makes it more difficult to catch him. But don't worry, we'll get him soon. Team Ascension are out hunting him, so he won't be able to run for long," she said. She gestured over to the table, where another silver tray lay.

"I'm afraid you slept through breakfast again."

"That's fine." Formora dismissed as she sat down to eat.

Once she was done, Giratina came calling at her vanity.

" **Ah, Formora. I am glad to see you are unhurt. I sincerely apologize for last night. Thank goodness Orzhova was on alert,** " he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yeah. She said the culprit was someone named Natu?" Formora recalled.

" **Yes. The rest of Team Valor were apprehended after Teysa alerted us, but I do not think they are connected to Cresselia. We found a Lunar Wing underneath his pillow, and there was a knife exactly like the one Orzhova saw down near the beach.** " Giratina reported.

"What's a Lunar Wing?"

" **It is a feather from Cresselia's body. It has magical properties that allow the holder to dispel nightmares. But it also serves as a communication device between her and her spies. We're well aware that she has informants within our halls. It's a natural part of war. The difficult part is ensuring that she learns as little as possible. All we can really do is limit who has access to sensitive information and kill anyone who is found to be a spy. But enough about the past; let us focus on the present. Today, I would like for you to head down to the training room and practice your moves. Hone them, learn the strengths and weaknesses of each one. Later Team Miasma will take you down to a dungeon, where you will have to get to the end of it. When you return, you will resume your classes. Of course, I will let you know when we catch Natu. Is all of that agreeable to you?"** Giratina asked.

The thought of returning to the windy dungeon filled her with both excitement and nervousness. She was eager to try out her new abilities again, but she was also wary of fighting the dungeon Pokemon-which she now knew were Budew, Azurill, and Pidgey-once more.

"...Yes," she said eventually. Giratina's face nodded in the mirror.

" **Excellent. I will leave you to it then** ," he said as he vanished.

Apprehensively, Formora made her way down the tower and into the training hall on the second floor. Gideon and Manectric were there, along with two Pokemon she hadn't met before.

The first one was shaped like a giant, white-and-blue ice cream cone. She had two heads that were attached to each other, and a straw-like appendage stuck out of her head. Her partner was a Blastoise.

"Morning, Formora! Glad to see Natu didn't harm you. Who would have known he was secretly a spy?" Manectric greeted, sighing and shaking his head sadly.

"It's such a shame. I rather liked him," the ice cream cone remarked. She turned to Formora. "Hello, I'm Vanilluxe, and this is Blastoise. We're Team Prestige, and we catch Shinies."

"'Sup?' Blastoise raised a hand in greeting as he and Vanilluxe returned to pummeling a straw dummy.

'Catch Shinies'? Oh, right. Formora remembered Giratina telling her that the Dark kidnapped Shiny Pokemon to see if any of them were Arceus' prodigy. She frowned, wondering what they did with the Shinies proven not to be the enemy. She then became aware that Manectric was talking.

"-for a while. Tell me, what moves do you know?" he was asking.

"What? Oh. Um, a powdery snow attack, a tackling attack, a glaring attack, and a multiplying attack." Formora responded.

Gideon flicked his tongue out briefly.

"Gid asks if you would demonstrate them all for us. Here, on this dummy." Manectric translated, walking over to a large sack of straw on a pole. Formora hesitated, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of all these Pokemon, but took a deep breath and glared _hard_ at the dummy. If looks could kill, it would be incredibly dead at this point.

"Ah, Leer. Alright, next," Manectric said, nodding.

Formora willed herself to divide over and over again, imaging multiple copies springing to life. Five clones of herself formed around the dummy.

"Double Team! That's an excellent move." Manectric nodded in approval.

Formora willed the copies to dissipate, and without warning she charged at the dummy, shrieking loudly as she did so. She tackled the thing head-on, pleased when she heard the wooden pole groan underneath the pressure. She disengaged the pole and floated back to where she was originally standing.

She then thrust her hands out in front of her, willing a chilly flurry of snow to fly from her hands and onto the dummy. The powdery snow whipped the summy mercilessly, blasting it with cold until it was completely covered in ice.

"Okay, so you know Powder Snow, Astonish, Leer, and Double Team. It's not a bad moveset to start out with. If you want, we can teach you a stronger move tomorrow." Manectric offered helpfully. Formora looked up in surprise.

"Really?" she asked eagerly. Manectric nodded.

"Sure! It's what we do. Now, before we begin, let's talk about types. Did Simon teach you about those yesterday?"

"Uh, a little bit, but I haven't memorized which Pokemon has which type yet." Formora frowned.

"Hm, he'll probably teach you about move types today, then. No matter, we can help him out right now. You see, Formora, every type has its strengths and weaknesses. Fire is super effective against grass, but is weak to water. Water is strong against fire, but doesn't hold up against grass. And grass is great against water, but vulnerable to fire. There are eighteen types in all. Some Pokemon have two types, like yourself. You're a ghost- and ice-type. You're strong against ghost, grass, ground, flying, psychic,and dragon **,** but weak to rock, ghost, steel, dark, and fire."

"That's...confusing." Formora frowned, trying to store that information away for later. Was she weak to ground-types or fire-types? No, no, she was strong against ground and weak to fire. Fire melted ice.

"It can be at first, but I'm confident you'll get it sooner or later. Where was I…? Oh, right. See, just as every Pokemon has at least one type, every move has a type as well. Powder Snow is an ice-type move, Astonish is a ghost-type move, and Leer and Double Team are normal-type moves." Manectric went on.

Formora was starting to feel a headache coming on.

"So I not only have to learn every single Pokemon's types, but also every single move's types as well? That's way too much."

"I understand it's a lot to take in. I'm sure Simon'll be much more helpful teaching you it all better than I am. There's a lot more to it, but I don't want to overburden you right now. Instead, let's focus on training. I'll try and thaw out this dummy if you'll practise on another. Try and develop some strategies while you're attacking it." Manectric suggested as he began chipping away at the dummy Formora had froze.

Formora stood in front on an unfrozen pole, and began viciously attacking it with all her might, enjoying her newfound powers.

She spent the rest of the morning honing her attacks, until eventually she felt like she'd been doing this all her life. She was merciless in her frenzy to obliterate her inanimate foe. One blow came one after another, then without warning the pole shattered into tiny wooden fragments.

Formora shielded her face from the flying bits of wood and straw, panting heavily as she did so. She looked up, and smiled in satisfaction. The pole had been completely destroyed.

Gideon inclined in head.

"Wow! You've certainly got a knack for battling. Gid and I are impressed. That's enough for today, I think. I'll need to make a new dummy. Come back tomorrow morning and we'll teach you a new move," Manectric said as he began cleaning up the remains of the dummy.

Formora grinned.

"I look forward to it," she said with relish as she left the training room. To her surprise, Team Miasma were waiting outside in the hall.

"Oh there you are. Did you have fun with the dummies?" Binacle asked, a slight mocking tone in his voice.

Formora crossed her arms.

"I did, actually. I destroyed one of them. It was quite easy." she responded, glaring at him.

"Alright, you two, settle down. No fighting," Cradily cut in. "Formora, we're here to take you to a dungeon. Are you ready, or do you need time?"

Formora still kept her arms crossed.

"I'm very ready. Lead me to it." she replied, eager to show the dungeon Pokemon just how much more stronger she's become. It was hard to believe that was only two days ago.

"Excellent. Let's go, then." Cradily nodded as he and his team led Formora down to the first floor and out the main entrance.

Formora had forgotten just how high up the base was. She could see the rest of the island from the top of the mountain. A tall tower to her left caught her eye. She squinted, trying to make out the details.

From what she could see, it was long, lean, and dark blue. It was as tall as the mountain.

"What's that thing?" she asked, pointing over to the tower.

"Hm? Oh, that's Eternal Tower. That's Dialga's dungeon. We don't go there." Sonya answered, glancing to where Formora was pointing.

"Who's Dialga? And why not?" Formora persisted as the four began walking down the narrow pathway leading to the bottom of the mountain.

"Dialga is one of Lord Giratina's two brothers. He controls time. He's incredibly powerful, and dislikes intruders. Not to mention, he's gone insane because of the distortions in space in time. If any of us were to go there and disturb him, we might very well end up in the distant past, or the future! It's better just to leave him alone." Cradily replied.

Formora was intrigued, but didn't relish being sent to a different time period. Instead, she settled on studying the smooth whitish-yellowish rocks that lined the gorges surrounding the path. Strangely, though, as they progressed downward, some of the rocks started to have fur, or had red spots on them. A horrible stench started to waft through the air as well.

"Ugh! What is that? And what's up with these rocks?" Formora demanded, trying not to gag.

"Ah, that's just the lovely stench of decay! And those aren't rocks, idiot. They're bones." Binacle snorted.

"Bones? What? Why? From whom?" Formora nervously looked down at the 'rocks'. She'd never seen actual bones before…

"How leetle you know...You see, my seester goes through a lut of preesoners each deh. We have to put their budies _somewhere_ , so we decided to line our wulkweh weeth them, to let any eentruders know what weell happen to them eef they proceed! We throw the fresh ones down here, at the buttom. Much less steenkier that weh. Every two weeks Oksana has the remehning capteeves move the fully-decomposed ones up near the tup. She culls eet a 'humbling exercise'." Sonya explained as the four reached the bottom of the mountain. Team Miasma led her onwards, toward a small forest up ahead.

"That's horrible! Why do you have to kill them at all? And can't you just bury them, or drop them in the sea?" Formora protested, unnerved by Sonya's casual explanation.

"We can't possibly house _all_ of them for life. And once we're done with them, they're usually physically or mentally broken. Often both. They become shells, incapable of living any sort of normal life. Honestly, killing them is a kindness. Besides, they'd just blab to the Light about our setups, what they were interrogated about, and so on. We can't have that, now can we? As for treating their dead bodies, well, burying them would mean that we respect them enough to give them a decent goodbye. Trust me, _we don't_. And there are Dark Pokemon patrolling the sea surrounding the island 24/7; we'd _never_ pollute their water!" Cradily exclaimed.

Formora was still very uneasy about what she had just heard, but she supposed it sort of made sense. There were certainly worser things than death. Having to endure memories of captivity for the rest of your life had to be unbearable.

She pushed the thoughts out of her mind, and continued following the team of assassins through the small forest until eventually they came to the beach on the other side of the island.

"Wait, this isn't the dungeon I went through!" she protested.

This new area was a small bay surrounded by woods. The beach was small, only a few meters long before the waves of the ocean gently caressed the shore. The azure water was clear and sparkling, and Formora could see the sand underneath the water. Strangely, though, there was a set of stone stairs leading down further and further into the ocean, until whatever they led to was clouded by murky shadows.

"We already know you can make it through Windy Plains; _everyone_ can make it through there! Today we'll be seeing if you can make it through Azure Bay. It's as easy as Windy Plains, honestly, but it's full of water-types. Your ice-type moves will be at a disadvantage." Cradily explained, nodding at the stone stairs.

Formora frowned, crossing her arms.

"I can't swim," she said. There was no way she was going underwater.

"You don't need to; the passageway is magically protected. You'll be able to breathe. The inside of the dungeon is mainly shallow water, but there are deeper pools. Those you can float on top of, but if you actively touch the deep water surface you'll be warped to another part of the floor. There's no chance of drowning." Cradily reassured. Sonya and Binacle rolled their eyes.

"Such a coward." Sonya remarked.

"It's only water." Binacle agreed.

Formora glared at them.

"Fine, I'll do it. How many floors are there?" she spat.

"Five. Your task is to make it to the end of the dungeon. At the end of Azure Bay lie a bunch of rainbow-colored seashells. Bring one back as proof of your completion. ...Actually, how's about we make this a little more interesting? If you fail, you go back home, to your own dimension." Cradily suggested snidely.

"Deal," Formora said instantly. She could take on water-types easily. She hoped.

"Good. You meh breeng a bag weeth you. Thees one can hold up to eht items." Sonya nodded, tossing Formora a brown satchel.

She caught it neatly, and tied it across her waist, as she didn't have any shoulders to sling it across.

"Go on, then, O Glorious Champion," Binacle said sarcastically.

Formora ignored him and turned towards the water. She took a steadying breath, and cautiously made her way down to the water. Once she reached it, she carefully began descending down the steps and into the ocean. The rational part of her brain was screaming at her to turn back before she drowned, but she stubbornly pressed on, wanting to prove to Team Miasma that she wasn't a coward.

After a moment, her entire body disappeared underneath the waves. But she wasn't wet. Or drowning. An invisible barrier kept the water at bay, creating a narrow tunnel down into the dungeon. The air was a bit thicker than normal, but she could breathe just fine.

Then, she descended into the shadows.

* * *

 **Azure Bay ( watch?v=YZ5n3uJp0M4)**

 **B1F**

The next thing she knew, she was standing in a completely different area than from the beach.

High walls made of navy blueish-gray stone towered over her. These walls had small barnacles and bits of coral stuck to them, and kelp grew on the sandy floor. The floor was submerged in a couple inches of light blue water, and Formora could see seashells lying here and there. Across the small room she was in, she could see deeper patches of water, characterized by a stunning azure color. The air was thick and salty, reminding Formora of Castelia City.

She was not afraid, though. She was calm, and ready for the challenge ahead. She didn't quite know why she was more relaxed in here than outside, but that didn't matter right now.

All that mattered was getting to the end and proving to the high-and-mighty assassins that she was worthy of their respect.

Formora held her head up high, and confidently began moving forward, taking a narrow passage to the east. The first room she came to had a small apple lying half-submerged in the corner. Formora went over and plucked it out of the water and placed it into her bag.

The next room held nothing, not even a foe, and so she moved on. However, as she was rounding a sharp turn, she came face-to-face with her first enemy.

It was a red-orange color, with yellow and white fins and a blank, derpy face. A Magikarp.

The Magikarp only blinked dully at her and began splashing around helplessly. Formora stared at the foe intensely, waiting for it to attack. But it didn't. All the stupid thing did was sit there and flop around.

After a moment of this, Formora grew bored, and with a shriek she tackled the Magikarp mercilessly, Astonishing it. The Magikarp let out a pained _glub_ and splashed around even harder. Formora held an arm in front of her face, trying to shield her eyes from the salt water being splashing about.

"Stop it!" she hissed, Leering at her opponent. The Magikarp stopped dead in its tracks, staring at her in fear.

"That's better," Formora said as she used Astonish on it once more. As the foe started to sail through the air, Formora quickly caught it within her grasp and slammed it deep into the wall.

The Magikarp moaned weakly and slid slowly down into the water.

Formora ended the one-sided fight with Powder Snow.

She continued forward, annoyed by how that battle went. This dungeon was supposed to be more challenging for her? How insulting.

The next room she came to held the Stairs, and she swiftly descended.

 **B2F**

Upon entering the second floor, she noticed with some satisfaction that there was a sleeping Poliwag on the other side of the room. Hopefully it would give her a better challenge.

She walked over to it, and promptly blasted it with her Powder Snow. The enemy was startled awake, and searched rapidly all around the room for its attacker. Its eyes settled on Formora, and with a scowl it jumped up and rammed itself squarely into her stomach. Formora grunted, but wasn't fazed much by the attack. She swatted the small blue Pokemon away, and returned its tackle with an Astonishing one of her own.

The Poliwag wailed as it landed roughly on the ground. It quickly got back on its feet and began spraying water out of its mouth into the air. Formora eagerly braced herself, but grew angry when she realized the water was just a harmless spray that made everything wetter.

"Seriously? That's all you got?" she stormed bitterly as she ended the worthless fight with another Astonish. She stalked out of the chamber, and found that the Stairs were in the next room.

 **B3F**

She found a small blue berry lying in the water next to her. What was it called...an Oran Berry, or something like that? She put it in her bag, and moved down the southern path.

When she came to the next room, she saw a red seed lying nearby. As she stooped to grab it, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that a small grayish-blue Pokemon was swimming her way. It was a Remoraid.

She put the seed in her bag and Leered hard at the oncoming foe. It faltered for a second before stoically coming closer to her. Formora let it take a few steps before she surprised it with a quick Powder Snow.

It didn't seem too badly hurt by the icy blast, and in retaliation it spat a powerful stream of water from its mouth. Formora was knocked down into the water on the floor. She lay there for a second, then picked herself up and grinned.

Finally, a _real_ opponent.

The Remoraid shot another water gun at her, but she moved out of the way and swiftly used Double Team, creating ten clones of herself in a ring around the foe. The confused enemy faltered, and gazed all around the circle of Formoras, trying to figure out which one was the real one.

When the Remoraid had turned its back to her, Formora happily pummeled it with another Powder Snow. The Remoraid fell face-first into the ground, and without skipping a beat Formora rushed at her foe with a shriek, her Astonish pummeling it further to the ground.

Formora stepped back, catching her breath. The Remoraid lay there for a long moment, so long that Formora was beginning to think it had fainted. But it slowly got back up, turned around, and pelted her in the face with the blast of water. She sputtered and coughed, trying to expel as much water from her lungs and possible. While she was doing so, she felt the Remoraid tackle her. She fell back into the water, causing a great splash. Before the Remoraid could react, Formora blasted it with Powder Snow. To her satisfaction, it fainted, and promptly disappeared.

She lay back in the water, panting. That fight had taken more out of her than she'd thought. Tiredly, she reached into her bag and pulled out the Oran Berry. She ate it, relishing the surge of strength that coursed through her.

Now that she was healed, she pressed on. She had a choice to head down a western or northern corridor. She chose the northern path, which led to a tiny little room that held nothing but a chamber leading west. She headed down it, only to come face-to-face with a Tentacool.

She jumped in surprise, and the enemy took this chance to shoot purple spikes from its tentacles at her. She hissed as the stinging barbs pierced her skin. Scowling, Formora retaliated with Astonish.

The Tentacool grunted, and lashed back with its poisonous barbs. Formora cried out as she was hit, feeling poison begin to course through her body.

She Leered at the wretched thing, then as it flinched she made multiple copies of herself. She winced, feeling more poison run through her. She needed to get away from here, and fast.

As the Tentacool stared at each copy in turn, Formora threw caution to the wind and _threw_ herself at the Tentacool, yelling wildly and Astonishing it as hard as she could. The movement caused her to feel more weakened, but on the plus side she had managed to knock out the Tentacool.

She lethargically pulled herself to a standing position, then slowly and methodically made her way down the hall, feeling herself get weaker and weaker with every step.

Finally, she made it to the next chamber, and she let out a thankful cry when she hazily saw that the Stairs were in this room.

As her vision grew blacker and blacker, she dragged herself over to the Stairs. Miraculously, though, she somehow managed to descend.

 **B4F**

Formora was very surprised, but equally glad that the poison had magically worn off. She noticed that the Stairs were in her starting room with her, along with a bright gold coin. She picked up the coin and hurried slowly but steadily to the next floor.

 **B5F**

She rested for a few minutes, gaining the strength she lost from the Tentacool's poison. She made a mental note not to let any more Tentacools touch her with their poison barbs.

She'd come dangerously close to fainting.

Once she was ready, she set forward. The first chamber she came to was empty, save for an Oran Berry near her feet.

The next chamber was larger, but held only a Magikarp. It was heading towards the next exit, so Formora stealthily snuck up on it and hit it with Astonish. The foe squealed as it fell forward onto the ground.

It got up, turned around, and pathetically began splashing around helplessly. Formora rolled her eyes, but her gaze was caught by a Remoraid entering the room. She smiled.

Time to see how she did against two foes at once.

She let the Remoraid come closer, watching it closely. She was not at all expecting the Magikarp to actually jump up and attack her. She was knocked to the floor, momentarily winded. That blow hadn't hurt, just mostly knocked the breath out of her.

A water attack from the Remoraid sent her sprawling, but she quickly got to her feet, breathing heavily. She had to be very careful.

The Remoraid stared warily at her, while the Magikarp only kept flopping about.

Formora Leered at both of them, causing the two enemies to cower in fear. Then before they could react, Formora unleashed her Powder Snow. She spread her hands wide, increasing the range of her attack. She'd come up with that little technique this morning.

The foes fell backwards into the water, and Formora wasted no time in blasting them both again with her Powder Snow. The Magikarp fainted, leaving only the stunned Remoraid.

Formora giggled, and reached into her bad for the apple. She was getting rather hungry.

Right before she took a bite, she was dashed to the floor by the water attack. Her apple was knocked out of her hands, and she looked up to see a follow-up blast heading straight for her. She rolled out of the way, knowing that one more solid attack would probably be enough to knock her out. She was getting tired, and her body hurt from getting hit by all of those attacks.

The Remoraid prepared another attack, and she responded by creating multiple clones of herself all around the foe. The enemy faltered, and Formora took the opportunity to tackle it with her Astonish using the last of her strength.

Thankfully it fainted, because Formora wasn't sure if she'd have been able to dodge another attack. She sat there, replenishing her strength. After a while, she got up, retrieved her apple, and set forward once again, eating the fruit as she walked down a short little hallway.

Much to her relief, the Stairs were in the next room.

 **Azure Basin**

Formora came to a large circular enclosure that was completely walled off except for the entrance she came through. Scattered all over the floor were shimmering seashells. Formora picked one up, marveling at the glimmering rainbow pattern that shone as the light hit the shell.

She turned around, shell in hand, and exited the dungeon.

* * *

She said nothing as she emerged from the ocean, only holding up the seashell.

"Hm, so you made it. And it only took you an hour. Of course, it would only take _us_ five minutes." Binacle remarked, sounding unimpressed.

"You owe me 1,000 Poké, Son," Cradily said. Sonya scowled.

"Alright, well, let's go back home." Cradily shrugged, turning to head back to the base.

"Why _are_ you three here? Obviously you don't think much of me." Formora demanded, tossing the seashell aside as she followed the trio.

"We're waiting for our next assignment. We were bored, so we figured watching the former-human blunder her way through an easy dungeon would be fun." Binacle replied.

"Hmph." Formora sniffed.

The four were silent for the rest of the journey home. Once they were inside the base, Sonya told Formora to head for the classroom. Formora was all to glad to be away from the trio, and eagerly entered the classroom.

Today, Simon taught her addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. He also began teaching her the basics of reading and writing. Formora didn't really like learning how to write; she was under the impression that why write when you could just save time and _speak_ what you needed to say?

A few hours into the lesson, Shinx from Intel burst into the room just as Simon was explaining the type matchups.

"Simon! Formora! It's Natu! They got him!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining bright. Formora's eyes widened, and felt herself tense up. So her would-be killer had been finally caught?

"He's in the cafeteria along with everyone else. Come on!" Shinx continued, running from the room. Formora looked at Simon, who nodded.

"Come on," the Larvesta said as they hurried to the cafeteria.

Lord Giratina was there, along with most of the other residents. Teysa and Orzhova were standing next to him. A Shuckle and a Roserade were holding tightly onto a tiny green-and-red Pokemon who had an odd pink glow around him. An Elgyem stood nearby, and whenever the pink glow began to disappear, the Elgyem would reinforce it.

Oksana was standing nearby, and Team Miasma were keeping watch over a Venomoth, a Bonsly, and a Skrelp. All three looked somber and miserable.

"What's going on? Who are those Pokemon?" Formora asked.

"The three guarding Natu are Team Ascension, composed of Elgyem, Shuckle, and Roserade. Elgyem is using his Imprison to keep Natu from Teleporting away. The trio over by the assassins are Natu's teammates, Team Valor." Simon explained. Formora looked at the prisoner. _That_ was Natu? _That_ tiny thing was her would-be killer?

After a few moments, Giratina spoke.

" **Last night, an intruder entered our Champion Formora's room with the intent to kill her. Fortunately, he was stopped by Orzhova, Formora's bodyguard. Orzhova saw the killer's face, and it is the one standing before me. Natu, what do you have to say in your defense?"** he rumbled emotionlessly. Natu squirmed in Team Ascension's grip.

"I-I admit that I entered her room, but I wasn't going to kill her…" he squeaked quietly.

" **Oh? Then why, pray tell, did you enter a locked room in the middle of the night? No good deeds happen during the night.** " Giratina inquired mildly. Natu cowered.

"I was...uh...going in to declare my love for her." his voice was barely audible.

Formora raised her head, staring at the captive in confusion. Declare his _what_?

" **At four AM?"**

"...Yes…"

It had been four in the morning when the attack occurred? Naturally, it _would_ happen at _four_ AM.

" **I do not claim to understand the madness of love. But, Natu, Orzhova also saw a knife in your hand."**

"She saw wrong. I didn't have anything on me," Natu said, shaking his head.

" **When Orzhova caught you, you fled the base. Why would you flee, unless you were guilty? Also, we found a knife by the beach. Orzhova confirmed it as the same you carried.** " Giratina pressed.

"I was embarrassed! I needed some time to collect my thoughts. And again, that knife isn't mine!" Natu protested.

" **You fled Team Ascension.** "

"Because they attacked me first! I was in fear for my safety!"

" **Hm, that is understandable. But...here's the thing, Natu. We found a Lunar Wing underneath your pillow. Care to explain that?** "

"It's not mine! I'm being framed! It's probably one of my teammates, possibly all of them!" Natu shrieked. A collective gasp went through the hall.

" **I think I've heard enough. Now...what to do for your punishment? The logical thing would be to hand you over to Oksana. As we all know, she dislikes traitors. She takes** _ **extra-special**_ **care of them,** " Giratina said thoughtfully. Oksana gave Natu a wolfish grinned, and the tiny Pokemon shuddered.

" **But, I'm also not entirely convinced of your guilt. I could never live with myself, knowing that I had sent an innocent man down to the dungeon, to be worked on by Oksana. The Light often sends innocents to death row, and I will** _ **not**_ **stoop to their level. I've made my decision. Natu, you were going to declare your love to Formora, yes?"**

Natu nodded warily. Formora frowned. Where was Giratina going with this?

" **The Champion of Darkness could never fall in love with just** _ **anyone**_ **. Her partner would need to be leagues above the rest. He or she would need to go through a rigorous challenge in order to prove themself. A challenge that would** _ **truly**_ **test his or her worthiness to Formora. That is why, Natu, I'm sending you to the Deadlands. If you can make it out, then we will know that your determination is equally as strong as your innocence.** " Giratina rumbled.

The entire audience shuddered, and Natu began screaming.

"NO! NO! Not there! I'll take Oksana! I'll take her! Anything but _there_!" he wailed, struggling as hard as he could. Shuckle and Roserade kept their hold on him tight.

"What are the Deadlands?" Formora asked Simon. He gulped.

"Th-the Deadlands is a large area over on the eastern side of the mainland. _Nothing_ can live there, and _everything_ there is designed to kill you. It's situated on top of a _very_ active volcano, and extensive mining has corrupted the ecosystem. There are two rings to the Deadlands. The outer ring is farther away from the volcano, but it's still incredibly hot inside the dungeon. The air and water are extremely poisonous, and the floor can give away at any time. There is no food, and no means of escape inside the dungeon. The inner ring...we call it the Land of Eternal Fire. The inner ring is located directly on top of a lava lake. The floor is practically untouchable, and the temperature is hot enough to _literally_ cook you. The air and water are even _more_ poisonous, and both contain a deadly neurotoxin that will paralyze you, destroy your mind, then kill you. The floor is highly unstable, and at any moment a lava geyser can burst through the floor, killing anyone unfortunate enough to be near it." Simon explained shakily, sweat pouring down his face.

Formora shuddered just thinking about it.

"How do you know all this, then, if everyone dies? And how do the dungeon Pokemon survive?" she asked.

"There were a couple of exploration groups that managed to survive. They prepared themselves specifically for the dungeon's conditions. They all wore Weather Bands, and had multiple items to lessen the deadly conditions. They wore gas masks to protect themselves from the air, and brought canteens of water. They also wore special goggles that allowed them to detect weak spots in the floor, or when a lava geyser was about to appear. Even so, they both were incredibly, _incredibly_ lucky to have survived. Team Geo made it to the halfway point, then they left. But Team Spirit...they were the ones who explored the _entire_ dungeon. Even the Land of Eternal Fire. Their knowledge was honored by many, and everyone regards them as heroes. As for the dungeon Pokemon...well, they don't survive either. If not to a lava geyser, then to starvation, or thirst. Not even they are immune…" Simon explained.

Team Ascension was escorting Natu out of the cafeteria. Some of the audience members joined them.

" **Venomoth, Bonsly, and Skrelp, I apologize for all of this. I am convinced of your innocence, and I see no reason to hold you in suspicion. You may go.** " Giratina told Natu's teammates. They nodded dejectedly, and shuffled out of the room.

" **I will head over to the Deadlands. Everyone is welcome to join. Formora? Will you join us as well?"** Giratina asked, calling across the room. Formora jumped at the sound of her name.

"Isn't...isn't going to the Deadlands dangerous? Why would you put yourself in danger?" she asked cautiously.

" **The entrance isn't that bad as the actual dungeon. We'll be safe enough, as long as we're brief.** " Giratina replied.

"Oh." Formora paused, then nodded. She kind of wanted to see what would happen, and what the Deadlands looked like.

" **Very well. Meet us down at the beach,** " Giratina said as he disappeared into the mirror.

Formora and Simon gingerly followed the crowd down the mountain, and onto the beach, where Giratina was waiting. There, Elgyem made multiple trips back and forth from the island to the mainland, Teleporting everyone who couldn't fly or swim over. Once everyone was on the mainland, Giratina led the group through plains, forests, across rivers, and even through a small mountain range before they arrived at their destination.

* * *

 **The Deadlands**

The area was completely flat, gray, and lifeless. The air was hot and arid, and had the faintest sweet taste to it. The ground was hot to the touch, and there was nothing around to indicate why plants couldn't grow, yet everything was bare. The group were the only living things for miles. There was a small river running nearby, but it was a blood-red color. Simon had explained on the way here that extensive mining in the past led to acidic mine drainage all around the area. Everyone gave the river a wide berth.

They stopped in front of a small stone structure. It was shaped like a small hut, but the inside was dark and shadowy, like the entrances to Windy Plains and Azure Bay.

Natu had ceased struggling along the trip, but now he resumed trying to wriggle free.

"We're safe enough out here, but we still can't be too long," Cradily said once everyone had taken a position around the entrance.

"No! Please! I'll do anything!" Natu begged.

"You brought this on yourself." Shuckle snapped at him.

" **Do it.** " Giratina ordered.

Shuckle and Roserade lifted him high over their heads, then unceremoniously tossed him into the dungeon. He sailed into the shadows, and disappeared from view.

" **Let's go,** " Giratina said wordlessly after a few seconds.

The group silently made their way back to the base.

* * *

It was nighttime by the time they arrived home, and Formora didn't feel like interacting with anyone. She entered her room, and promptly took a long, long bath.

She was a bit shaken by the events of today. She'd just seen the last moments of someone else. He would fall victim to neurotoxin, or dehydration, or starvation.

What horrible ways to die.

And yet...watching all of this unfold had been mesmerizing. She'd never seen anything like it before. It was almost...fascinating.

When she got out of the bath, Teysa was ready with a plate of food. Formora ate quietly for a moment, then asked the Cinccino her thoughts on Natu's innocence.

"Oh, we all knew he was guilty. Even Giratina," Teysa said. "It was impossible for him to be innocent."

"Oh. ...Teysa?"

"Yes?"

"Is there a cold version of the Deadlands here? Like, instead of fire everything is made of ice?"

Teysa thought for a minute.

"Not really...the closest dungeon I can think of is the far north. Snowy Crevice and Frigid Tundra are both bitterly cold dungeons, but their conditions aren't as extreme as the Deadlands."

Formora nodded, and finished her meal in silence.

It took her a long, long time to fall asleep that night.

* * *

 **I am very sad that I did not come up with the concepts for the Deadlands until after I had finished Light in the Darkness. I think it would have been fun to see how [redacted] and [redacted] would react to the dungeon.**

 **Anyways, the next post shall include: an icy beam, a** _ **bone-breaking**_ **test, and a dazzling battle.**


	6. Chapter 6

Though it had taken her a while to fall asleep, Formora woke up early the next morning.

"Oh, you're up," Teysa said in surprise when Formora went out into her living room. "Breakfast is almost over; would you like me to send it up here instead?"

"No, I'll...I'll eat with the others," Formora declined. She didn't relish being with so many people in this crowded fortress, but she couldn't stay in her room forever.

"Very well," Teysa nodded as she resumed dusting the fireplace.

Formora headed down to the cafeteria, where she took a big plate of pancakes and went to sit with Miles, the only person she liked. Well, 'liked' wasn't the right word, but Miles' company she minded the least. He was absentmindedly chewing on a piece of toast while he read a paper in front of him.

Her table at the front didn't have very many Pokemon at it. Team Terra were just finishing up, but the Ivanova sisters were still eating. Oksana was delicately nibbling on a mango while Sonya was intently stitching up some sort of doll.

It appeared to be an Azurill, with black buttons for eyes. Formora was curious why a grown woman like Sonya was playing with a doll.

"I, uh...like your doll," she said awkwardly, unsure of how to approach this.

"Hees nehme ees Mikhail," Sonya replied absently, expertly threading some more string through her needle.

"Son likes to make dolls. Everyone needs a hobby, after all," Oksana explained, shrugging in amusement.

"Why?" Formora asked, a bit unnerved by the creepy-looking doll. It seemed to stare right into her soul…

"Dulls mehke the best companions. Theh don't judge you, or betreh you. Theh just seet there and leesten pehtiently. Theh're perfect," Sonya explained resolutely.

"Um...They're just dolls, though," Formora said quietly. Sonya looked up and glared.

"I don't need your deesrespect, you eenconteenent fool!" she snapped.

"Eencompetent, Sonya. Eencompetent," Oksana correctly idly, not looking up.

"Whatever!" Sonya hissed, turning back to her doll and angrily stitching it up.

"Uh...What about you? What are your hobbies, then?" Formora asked, turning to Oksana. The Eelektross only smiled.

"Oh, Formora. You're not ready to see my work just yet. Be patient. Een the meantime, I have to get going. I have a _very_ eemportant meeting I must attend. Sonya, I will see you later," she said, getting up and departing from the cafeteria.

Oksana's accent was lighter than Sonya's, but the two still pronounced certain sounds the same. They also rolled their r's, and Formora noted that Oksana pronounced Sonya's name as 'So-nyah', whereas everyone else pronounced it 'Sawn-yah'.

"So...how are you?" Formora asked Miles, trying to be polite.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. There are three unknown Pokemon that arrived on the island this morning. We think they're just an exploration team, but we're keeping a close eye on them anyway," he told her.

"Oh?" Formora raised an eyebrow.

"Yep. A Breloom, Mareep, and best of all, a Shiny Buneary. They headed into Lazy Bog a short while ago. I imagine we'll apprehend the Buneary soon," Miles nodded.

"Where's Lazy Bog?" Formora asked.

"Five minutes east of Azure Bay," he replied.

"I see." Formora said thoughtfully.

* * *

She finished her breakfast and headed on up to the training room, where Manectric and Gideon were waiting.

"Good morning, Formora. Ready for some more training?" Manectric greeted her. She nodded.

"Yes. I want to learn a stronger attack too," she said.

"Excellent! We picked out a good move for you to learn: Ice Beam. It's a concentrated beam of icy power that sometimes leaves the foe frozen. What do you think?" Manectric offered.

"Sounds good," Formora nodded. The stronger the attack, the better.

"Good. Now, before we begin, I must tell you: you can only remember up to four moves at a time. If you learn Ice Beam, you will forget a move. That's just the way it is," Manectric warned.

"Which move will be forgotten?" Formora asked, worried that she might lose her Powder Snow attack, which was her favorite.

"It'll always be the move that is least useful to you. I don't know who or what decided what that move is, but they're always right," Manectric shrugged as Gideon flicked his tongue.

"Oh. Well, let's get started," she said.

"Alright. Now, for Ice Beam, you want to concentrate your powers to manifest a blue ball of energy. Try concentrating it between your hands." Manectric began, circling her slowly.

She tried. She willed her energy to form into an icy ball of light between her hands. She concentrated hard, and to her delight a light blue ball appeared there.

"I did it!" she exclaimed happily, breaking her concentration. The blue ball dissipated. "Oh…"

"That was a nice job for your first attempt, but try not to let anything distract you. Try again." Manectric advised.

She did. She concentrated hard on recreating the blue ball, _making_ her power form as she desired. The ball came easier this time, and she held it there, silently waiting for the next step.

"Good. Now, hold your arms out and direct the ball to shoot out a beam of ice. Practice on the dummies." Manectric ordered, walking behind her so he wouldn't get hit by accident.

Formora turned to face a straw dummy, and did as he bade, holding her hands out and mentally ordering the ball to strike. A few sparks shot out, but other than that nothing happened.

"Try again." Manectric encouraged. She did, with the same result.

"It's not doing what I want it to!" she seethed after the tenth failed attempt. She could summon the ball just fine now, but actually getting it to work was beyond her capability.

"Learning new moves takes practise. You don't just, say, slap a disk to your head and learn a new move just like that. Keep trying. You're doing better; the sparks are much longer." Manectric said. Gideon flicked his tongue out.

"'Focus your anger at the ball'," Manectric translated.

Formora turned back to the dummy, calling up the ball without a second thought. This time, she concentrated her frustration into her will as she bade it shoot forth. The ball obeyed, shooting a large beam at the dummy, instantly encasing it in ice.

Formora felt a large grin sliding across her face.

"I did it!" she exclaimed.

"Nice job! See if you can do it again." Manectric enthused.

She tried, again focusing her anger into willing the ball to obey. The attack came quicker, more efficiently.

Formora spent the next hour mastering Ice Beam, until the move was like second nature to her. A quick demonstration of the rest of her moves proved that she had lost the ability to use Double Team. Try as she might to will herself to create copies, she just...couldn't anymore. She was saddened by the loss, but her glee at having Ice Beam at her disposal was more prominent.

She used the rest of the morning training, striking the dummies over and over again. She even managed to learn how to create two Ice Beams, one in each palm, all by herself. Both Manectric and Gideon were impressed by her drive and ferocity.

"Wow! You're a natural at this!" Manectric whistled as Formora decimated another dummy.

He then had her work on her regular attacks by making her snap large branches as wide as a human arm in half.

She decided to call it a day after that. She was sweaty and tired, but overall immensely satisfied with how the morning went.

She left the training room, and decided to see what Miles was up to. Before she could enter the Intel room, however, Charmeleon came up to her and told her that Lord Giratina was waiting for her in the cafeteria. She hurried downstairs, curious as to what he wanted.

Just as she entered the first floor, she spotted a Bonsly heading her way. He looked sad, shuffling along slowly. Formora recalled that Bonsly was part of Team Valor, Natu's team. He'd just lost a teammate.

"Um...hi," Formora said, approaching him.

"Hm? Oh, hello," Bonsly replied, looking up at her with despondent eyes.

"I'm Formora. You're part of Team Valor, right? I'm...sorry about what happened yesterday," Formora said awkwardly.

"Believe me, we are too. Natu was our friend. We never suspected he was...Anyway, I don't think I've seen you here before. Where are you from?" Bonsly asked.

"I'm actually from another dimension. I'm supposed to be your Champion," she informed. Bonsly's eyes went went.

"Oh, Lady Champion! Forgive me for my ignorance!" he begged, throwing himself down at her feet.

"Please don't treat me like that. I don't like it," she replied, uncomfortable.

"Oh...my apologies. Huh...that's nice, how you're humble. You don't brag about your status," Bonsly observed quietly.

"I grew up as a street kid; I know better than to get all high and mighty," Formora frowned. She could certainly remember a few people like that.

"I'm glad you're our Champion," Bonsly smiled faintly.

"What happened yesterday, after Natu tried to kill me?" Formora asked, changing the subject. Bonsly sighed.

"Fiona and some others yanked us all out of bed after he fled. They locked us in the dungeon while they went through all our things. One by one, we were taken out of our cell, then we'd each return five minutes later. When it was my turn, they brought me to Oksana. She asked me, and I quote, 'When we find Natu, what should we do weeth heem?'. I wasn't expecting anything like that. I thought...I thought she was going to beat the living daylights out of me. She likes to do that kind of thing. Anyway, I thought for a moment, and I told her to do whatever she must. Of course I didn't really want Natu to have to deal with...with Oksana *gulp*, but on the other hand, he betrayed us all. She nodded, and I was returned to my cell. Venomoth and Skrelp said she had asked them the exact same question, and they'd all given similar answers. After a while, we were released. Oksana said she knew we were innocent. She even gave us some cookies in apology," he narrated.

"Wow. Do...do you think Natu is still…?" Formora couldn't finish the question.

"If he managed to beat the odds and escape the Deadlands, he'll be slowly dying from poison or heat-related injuries," Bonsly said grimly, not looking her in the eyes.

"Oh...I'm sorry, I have to go. Giratina's waiting for me," Formora said hastily, just realizing how much time had gone by.

"You shouldn't keep him waiting. It was nice meeting you, Formora." Bonsly advised as he walked up the stairs.

Formora hurried to the cafeteria, where Giratina was standing in the front of the room. There were a few Pokemon milling around and chatting to one another, but other than that the room was mostly bare.

" **There you are. How was training?"** Giratina inquired as she approached. In response, she successfully Ice Beamed a chair, encasing it completely in ice. Giratina nodded in approval.

" **Excellent, excellent. You are developing into a fine Pokemon. Now that you have some dungeon experience and some training under your belt, I think it is time I give you your first mission. After that, I will ask you if you will stay in this world. If you choose to do so, then you will officially become our Champion. If not, then I will return you to your world** ," Giratina said.

Formora stood up straighter. Her very first test. She was ready for it, no matter what it was.

" **Bring me a Shiny Pokemon,** " he rumbled, looking down upon her. She nodded. She could easily do that. She knew where one was right now, anyway.

"You should break its arm," Cradily suggested as he, Binacle, and Sonya walked up to them.

"What?!" Formora exclaimed in horror. Kidnapping was one thing, but she wasn't sure if she could willingly break someone's arm just for the pleasure of it.

" **Hmm, yes. Bring me a Shiny Pokemon. And break its arm. I want to make sure that you're worthy of your title, Miss Champion,** " Giratina mused.

"You're the Champion of Darkness, right? So prove that you're one of us. Or are you too scared?" Binacle taunted.

She glared at him. That settled it, then.

"I _am_ one of you. I'll do even better! I'll break _all_ of its arms!" she shouted, racing out of the cafeteria.

She barged through the main entrance and raced down the mountain. She remembered where Azure Bay was, so she merely headed east of its location.

As Miles had said, there was a small bog to the east of the watery dungeon. Gnarled trees surrounded a muddy path, which led to...darkness. Formora couldn't see what lay inside. This must be the place.

She raised her head, and confidently walked into the dungeon, hoping that the Shiny Buneary and its teammates were still here.

* * *

 **Lazy Bog ( watch?v=hyGaX_lVcSk)**

 **B1F**

The first thing she noticed was that the air was muggy, and hot. Sweat immediately formed on her brow as she took in the scene. The ground was muddy, and if she had feet she could imagine it going _squish squish_ as she walked.

Pools of brown, bubbling water surrounded the land, and gnarled trees that blocked the sun grew underwater.

She hated it instantly.

She wasn't a quitter, though. Far from it. So, she held her head high and floated down the only path, which headed north.

To her delight, the Stairs were in the next room.

 **B2F**

The second floor was just as bad as the first. To make things worse, there was a Murkrow in the room with her.

"Go away," Formora growled as she sent out a Powder Snow at it. It let out an angry squawk, and dove at her face.

Before she could react, the Murkrow began Pecking her repeatedly. Formora shrieked, shielding her face with her hands. Angrily, she blasted it with Ice Beam. To her delight, the point-blank attack was powerful enough to stop it. It fell to the ground, where it promptly disappeared.

There were two paths she could take, one leading south and the other leading west. She decided to take the southern path, and found an Oran Berry lodged in the mud. She picked it up, and rinsed most of the mud off in the water.

In this room, the only path led east, so she headed down that hall. In the next room she came to, she spotted a light blue Pokemon entering from the northern corridor. What was it called? A Wooper.

The Wooper spotted her, and began sending clods of dirt up into the air, showering the both of them in dirt.

Formora displeased by this, shot a Powder Snow at the tiny little foe. It hopped out of the way and spat a blast of water from its mouth and at her. Ah, she recognized this attack.

She flattened herself to the ground, and sent out an Ice Beam back at it. The Wooper cried out as it was frozen, completely encased in ice.

She let it thaw somewhat until it could be attacked again, then took advantage of its immobility to repeated Astonish it.

It fainted just as it thawed completely.

The Stairs were in the next room.

 **B3F**

Bah, she was starting to regret coming in here. She was sweating buckets, and longed to her in her air conditioned room up in the fortress.

The first room she entered had a sleeping Tympole. She debated on whether or not she wanted to attack it, but decided against it, as battling would only make her hotter and sweatier.

At least the Stairs were in the next room.

 **B4F**

The good news was that the Stairs were in the same room she arrived in. The bad news was that they were being guarded by a...Zubat? Yes, a Zubat, and a Tympole.

Both the Tympole and Zubat sent out multiple blue rings from their mouths.

She did not know this attack, so she dodged the attack. But, the Tympole spat multiple bubbles at her that exploded when they made contact. She fell to the floor with a cry, and grunted as she felt the blue rings finally hit her.

They made her vision spin around and around, until she couldn't tell which way was up and which was down. She stumbled around in confusion, shooting an Ice Beam at something that was either a tree or the Zubat. She hissed as she felt fangs sink into her skin and drain her energy. A second later, she felt more of the exploding bubbles touch her, and she fell to the ground in pain.

Thankfully, her vision cleared, and panting she ate the Oran Berry she was miraculously still holding. She felt her strength return immediately, and with a wolfish grin she blasted both her foes with a wide spread of Powder Snow. They both flew backward, and Formora immediately took advantage to blast the Zubat with Ice Beam. It fell to the ground and disappeared, leaving only the Tympole.

The Tympole sent out more blue rings from its mouth. Formora, not wanting to be confused again, jumped out of the way, and with a shout she crashed into the Tympole, sending it flying. She quickly blasted it mid-air with Ice Beam, and to her satisfaction the last foe fell.

She strutted victoriously to the Stairs.

 **Lazy Marsh ( watch?v=QAmX-eok6Cc)**

Breloom, Mareep, and Buneary were just finishing up their exploration of the dungeon.

"I think we're just about done here. Shall we move on to the next one?" Breloom suggested after the trio had thoroughly combed over every inch of the area.

The end of the dungeon just led to a small, muddy clearing surrounded by brackish water that prevented them from moving forward. Gnarled trees blocked most of the sunlight.

"Sure! ...Wait, did you hear that? It sounded like someone's approaching," Buneary warned, one long ear turned towards the exit.

Formora blinked when she saw the trio in front of her. She hadn't been expecting to reach the end of the dungeon so quickly. She frowned. Of course, it _would_ be only four floors.

She gazed slowly around the muddy clearing, until her eyes rested on the tiny Buneary, whose tufts were pink instead of pale yellow. This was her target, the one whose limbs she must break. Could she do it?

It didn't matter. She _had_ to.

"Hi there. Are you an explorer too?" the Breloom asked pleasantly. She looked at him. Didn't he know that they were on the Dark Isle? What fools.

"I am not. I came here looking for you three," she responded, keeping her voice neutral. She couldn't let them know how nervous she was. She'd never gone up against three foes at once before.

"Really? Why? I don't think we know you. Who are you?" the Mareep frowned, tilting her head in confusion.

"Who I am doesn't matter. I'm here for the Buneary," Formora shook her head.

"Me? Why?" the Buneary asked. Formora was inwardly confused by how...trusting these three were. She, a stranger, had followed them here. Didn't they realize the danger they were in?

"You're Shiny. All Shinies must be escorted to the base on top of the mountain," Formora explained, gesturing in the direction of the mountain. Sudden dawning came to the three.

"I get it now. You're one of _them_. You're part of the group that's kidnapping Shinies all over the continent, are you?" the Breloom demanded coldly, stepping into a fighting position. All of the blood drained from the Buneary's face, and with a horrified squeak she hid behind the Mareep and Breloom. Clearly, the latter two were the fighters of the group.

"Correct. I assume you're not going to come quietly, then?" Formora nodded. It was easy, acting like she was some high-ranking member of the Dark when in truth she was just a former-human who had little idea what she was doing. The act was equally for her own reassurance and for the team.

"That's right. You're not going to lay a finger on Buneary. We're Team Dazzle; nothing stops us. There's three of us and only one of you. We'll defeat you, and then we'll throw you in prison along with the rest of your group!" the Mareep stormed, sparks flying from her body.

"Somehow I doubt that very much," Formora said idly, crossing her arms.

"Hah! You haven't met foes as strong as us!"the Breloom bragged.

"Is that so? I guess we'll have to do this the hard way, then," Formora said coldly as she blasted her Powder Snow in their direction.

All three jumped out of the way. They were more proficient in battling than she was; she'd have to be careful not to let her guard down around these three. One wrong move, one little slip-up, and she could say goodbye to being a part of this world.

"Go ahead, make our day," the Breloom snarled as he threw a transparent green beam from his arms at her.

 **Boss Battle!**

Formora threw herself out of the way of the beam, snarling as she Leered hard at them. The trio faltered in their attacks, momentarily frightened. Before they could get over their brief pause, she hit the tall Breloom with Ice Beam.

She was very glad she had gotten control over the move, she thought as she watched the Breloom sail backwards and land head-first into the water. He sat up with a start, sputtering and coughing.

"Breloom!" the Mareep cried as she began charging at Formora.

Formora, recognizing the attack, stayed still, letting the Mareep ram her with Tackle. Before Shinx had interrupted their lesson yesterday, Simon had explained to her that normal-type moves like Tackle would do almost nothing to a ghost-type like her.

The trio deserved to lose now, for their idiocy.

"Tackle won't work on her, Mareep!" Breloom shouted as he shook the water from him. "At least, not yet. Buneary, use your Foresight!"

"O-oh, right…" the Buneary trembled as her eyes glowed red. A red wave began emanating from her body and all across the area, disappearing once it reached the exit behind Formora. As the wave touched her, she felt a tingle run through her, but otherwise nothing else happened.

" _Normal-type moves don't work against ghost-types…_ " Simon had told her yesterday. " _But the move Foresight allows them to hit ghost-types, so be careful."_

She frowned. She rather liked being immune to certain attacks, and now that Buneary had taken it away from her.

She rushed forward with a shout, bowling into both the Breloom and Mareep with her Astonish. The Buneary was right in front of her now, looking pitifully at her.

She dodged the Buneary's half-hearted Pound, laughing as she blasted her with Powder Snow as her quarry sailed past.

"Just give up already! Stop making it harder on yourself!" Formora stormed as the Buneary struggled to pick herself off the ground.

"Buneary, stay back! Leave it to us!" the Mareep's voice came from behind.

Formora turned, and her eyes widened in surprise. Before she could react, she was struck by the transparent green beam as well as a weak blast of electricity. She cried out, feeling both electricity course through her as her energy was drained. That green beam felt like a stronger version of Absorb. That wasn't good.

Angrily, Formora shrugged off the pain and sent a wide spray of Powder Snow at the offending foes. Both were knocked back, but they were quick to get back onto their feet.

She heard a sound behind her, and without turning she shot a one-handed Ice Beam behind her. A scream from the Buneary told her that she had hit her mark. As if that Buneary could try and hit her while her back was turned.

"Buneary! No!" the Mareep cried. Formora smiled. It sounded like she had defeated her quarry. Time to beat the rest of the team.

The Breloom launched the green beam again, but Formora was quick to evade. She was starting to tire, and she still had two more foes to beat.

She quickly blasted the remaining two with Powder Snow as they prepared to attack once more. They flinched as the icy chill hit them, and Formora quickly followed by chucking an extra-powerful Ice Beam at them.

The beam successfully hit them both. Formora leaned forward, panting hard. She'd put a lot of power into that particular attack; hopefully it had done its job. As she looked at her foes, her eyes widened in horror. The Breloom had been knocked out, but the Mareep was still standing, glaring intensely at Formora.

"How?!" Formora screeched, throwing another Powder Snow.

"I'm not down yet," the Mareep said simply, easily ducking out of the way of the chilly blast of ice and snow.

"Just _faint_ already!" Formora hissed.

Formora quickly threw a Powder Snow at the remaining foe. The Mareep leaped out of the way, and began speeding towards Formora, probably for another Tackle. Well, Formora had absolutely no intention of letting her succeed.

She tossed an Ice Beam at the charging enemy, but the pesky Mareep dodged again. The Mareep leaped forward, and struck Formora right in the gut. She felt the breath be knocked out of her as she was sent sailing through the air.

She crashed into a tree, and stunned she fell face-first into the ground.

She struggled to get up, seeing spots at the edges of her vision. This needed to end. _Soon_.

"Are you going to give up yet, or do I have to Tackle you again?" the Mareep asked coldly, standing nearby. Formora managed to stand, and she grinned, panting heavily.

" _Never_ …" she replied. Now, here was a _real_ challenge. Low on health, and fighting a worthy opponent. She laughed as she felt the thrill of fighting to survive course through her. This was what she was _meant_ to do!

"Alright then. I guess I'll just have to finish you off," the Mareep shrugged as she sent an electrical shock towards her.

Formora rolled out of the way, surprising the Mareep, who had thought she was done for. Oh, how _wrong_ that Mareep was. She _thrived_ on fighting to survive. From the winters of Castelia City to avoiding the police every day, she did her best when the odds were stacked against her.

She gleefully shot the Mareep with Ice Beam. The fluffy foe was hurled backwards, until she landed in the mud with a _thud_. Formora laughed, then cried out as she was hit by a retaliated electric shock.

Her glee suddenly turned to anger, and she and the Mareep stared each other down. Formora held her hands out parallel to the floor, summoning an Ice Beam in each hand. The Mareep responded by sending sparks from her woolly body.

"Shall we?" Formora growled.

"Let's," the Mareep nodded.

They sent out their attacks at each other, which met in the middle to create a small explosion. Formora blindly sent a Powder Snow in her enemy's direction anyway, and she narrowly missed getting hit by the electrical attack in turn.

When the smoke cleared, the two fighters charged at each other, using Tackle and Astonish. But Formora ducked at the last second, and blasted the Mareep with Powder Snow at point-blank range.

The Mareep took a few seconds to get back up, and charged back into the fray. She tried to hit Formora with the electrical attack, but Formora threw herself down on the ground, the attack whizzing above her head and into the surrounding marsh. A sharp _bzzt!_ sound came from the now-glowing water. The glow dissipated after a second, and soon the water returned to normal.

Formora started to stand back up-and quickly _threw_ herself out of the way of the Mareep's follow-up Tackle. She landed in the mud, and with a grimace she lifted her head and spat out colds of squishy, disgusting dirt.

With a scowl, she sent out a flurry of Powder Snow at the Mareep—more as a distraction to let her get up than anything—and swiftly sent out an Ice Beam at the chilled foe. The Mareep narrowly escaped the beam of ice, and charged at Formora, intending on a Tackle. Formora leaped out of the way, as the Mareep whirled on her feet for another go-around.

Formora got back up, and threw another Powder Snow at the Mareep. The yellow-and-blue enemy jumped high into the air, sending yet another electrical shock down at Formora, who responded by sending an Ice Beam to meet the current in the air, creating another small explosion.

A large _boom_ reverberated through the area, and a large loud of gray smoke appeared, clouding the clearing and preventing the two battlers from seeing.

Formora charged through the smoke, startling the Mareep when she burst through.

"You're done now. Bye bye," Formora told her as she quickly blasted the Mareep with Powder Snow.

"N-no!" the Mareep protested weakly, struggling to stand against her icy onslaught.

Formora kept pumping her Powder Snow from her hands and onto her foe. She sensed victory was almost here. The Mareep continued to endure her attack, so Formora increased the intensity into a narrow, powerful stream of snow.

The Mareep stood for a few more seconds, until finally, she fell.

* * *

Formora fell to the ground, exhausted by the battle. She lay there for a few moments until enough of her strength had returned. She looked over towards the Buneary, feeling dread wash over over. Now that the battle was over, next came the _real_ hard part. She swallowed, feeling a lump rise in her throat as she headed over to the unconscious Buneary.

She picked up a limp arm, then paused, unsure of what to do next. How to go about breaking it, then? And was she even up to the task?

For a moment, Formora had the urge to run away. But that would mean she failed her test. Team Miasma's mocking laughter echoed in her head, and she pushed away her doubts as she cast about for something to use.

Don't think. Just act.

There wasn't anything in the area that she could really use. Then the memory of her breaking sticks with her hand came to her head. Oh. _Oh_. That was...a rather barbaric method.

She steeled herself as she extended the Buneary's arm. Formora balled her hand into a fist, and raised it high above her head.

Don't think. Just act.

She brought her arm down as hard as she could muster. Her fist landed right on the Buneary's elbow.

She swallowed her revulsion as she felt something _crack_. The Buneary let out a piercing scream as spasms wracked her entire body.

The Mareep and Breloom stirred at this, but a quick Powder Snow from Formora sent them back into unconsciousness again.

" _WHAT ARE YOU DOING_?!" the Buneary screamed, opening her eyes.

Formora didn't answer, and only proceeded to shatter the other elbow. This time, the Buneary's eyes rolled up into her skull as she went limp again. The pain must've been too great.

Formora dropped the arm, and studied the short, stubby legs, wringing her aching hand. If the elbow was easily breakable, then that would mean the knee was too, right? But Bunearys didn't have knees.

The toes, then.

She shattered two of the three muddy toes on the left foot, then all three on the other. It was easier for her to do it, now that she'd already broken other bones. What kept running around in her mind was how... _easy_ it had been to break the weak points.

Her hand was red and swollen when she was done with the foul deeds. She'd need to rest it, right after she brought the very-unconscious Buneary back to Giratina.

She scooped up the pitiful figure in her arms, and carried her back to the base.

* * *

By the time she had made it up the mountain and to the doors, she was panting and sweating from having to carry the Buneary.

She was only too glad to drop the brown-and-pink figure in front of Giratina and Team Miasma.

"Oh my Arceus, she actually did it," Binacle marveled, his jaws dropped open.

"That's quite impressive. We didn't think you had it in you," Cradily whistled.

"How'd you do eet?" Sonya demanded. Formora showed them her swollen hand.

"Now that is hardcore. Nice job, Formora," Cradily laughed.

" **I must say, I am impressed. How do you feel?"** Giratina inquired, nudging the Buneary with a giant toe. She moaned, but otherwise didn't stir.

"I don't know," Formora replied honestly. There was a swirl of emotions whirling around inside of her; she'd need some time to process them all. Giratina nodded in understanding.

" **You had no easy task. Many lesser Pokemon would have balked, but you surpassed all expectations. Will you stay on with us, then?** " he asked suddenly.

"Yes," Formora replied simply. She paused, surprised at her answer. It had just come out.

" **I am pleased. Go to the infirmary and get your hand seen to. After that, meet with Simon,** " he ordered.

She did as he bade, first heading up to her room to rinse the mud and muck off of her, then got an ice pack for her throbbing hand from the infirmary. She met Chansey, the kind nurse, who gave her a grape-flavored lollipop in welcome.

She went to her classes, and learned about type matchups, moves, and Abilities.

After her classes were over, she headed back into the cafeteria for dinner. The Buneary was nowhere to be seen, and the hall was crowded with hungry Pokemon.

She waited impatiently in line, grabbed a few things off the bar, and went to sit at her place at the table in the front.

"So, you captured yourself the Shiny Buneary, I hear," Miles greeted as she sat down. Formora nodded. She'd been thinking about it all afternoon.

"How'd it go?" Katrina asked as everyone minus Oksana looked towards her. The Eelektross was nowhere to be seen.

Formora explained the events, and how she had broken the Buneary's limbs. Everyone was impressed.

"That Buneary was out _cold_. You should have seen it," Cradily told the others.

"And you broke its bones with just your _hand_? My, that is most astonishing," Sumatra admired.

"The Breloom and Mareep kept wandering all around the island after you left, searching and searching for their companion. Eventually, though, we scared them into leaving the island," Miles informed.

As everyone was finishing up their last few bites, Oksana rushed to the table with a huge pile of food. She was covered in smelly red paint.

"Ah, I'm so glad I made eet before they stopped serving…" she sighed in relief, panting.

"What's todeh's number?" Sonya asked.

"Two," Oksana replied, digging voraciously into her mountain of food. Sonya's eyebrows shot straight up.

"Only _two_?!" the Banette demanded in surprise.

"I was een meetings all day. I had virtually no time for pleasure," Oksana explained.

"What are you two talking about?" Formora asked.

"You don't want to know," Oksana shook her head.

"No, tell her. She broke a Buneary's leembs weeth just her bare hands!" Sonya argued. Oksana looked at Formora incredulously.

"That Shiny Buneary that arrived een the afternoon, with eets hands and toes shattered? That was _you_?" she said in disbelief. Formora nodded. Oksana blinked, then nodded approvingly.

"Excellent work, going for the elbows. Very weak spot, that ees. Nicely done. Very well, I'll tell you. Sonya was asking me how many Pokemon I keelled today. Normally eet's much higher, but like I said, I was een meetings for most of the day. Although tomorrow, I can make up for today," she explained, grinning cruelly.

"You...killed two Pokemon today? Why?" Formora asked slowly, not sure if she had heard the Eelektross correctly. She hoped it was just Oksana's accent that made her mishear.

"After I was done weeth my meetings, I had just a leetle beet of time left before deenner. So I decided to work on my Locked-Een Seendrome project, the one I told you about. That's why I'm like thees; I deedn't have time to clean up before deenner. Sad to say, both expereements were failures...Speaking of failures, are you going to attend the concert tonight?" Oksana asked, gesturing to the red paint all over her body.

No, that was blood, Formora realized with a start. Odd, she didn't actually feel too queasy as she gazed at the crimson spatters on Oksana's body.

"Well?" Oksana prompted. Formora looked up, momentarily lost.

"What? Oh. Uh, what concert? Is it that bad?"

"It's Friday; Sorin and the others are playing tonight. They're actually pretty good. 'Failure' is just the name of one of their songs." Manectric responded, having been listening in.

"I see. Um, I guess I'll go," Formora shrugged uncomfortably. She had attended small concerts before. They were much too loud and crowded for her taste, but she could always leave if she got too overwhelmed.

"I'll see you then, I suppose. Een the meantime, I need to go clean up," Oksana nodded in satisfaction as she got up and left.

Formora finished her dinner soon after, and stayed in the cafeteria like most of the other Pokemon in the room. Some left, but the majority of the residents were hanging around for the concert, it seemed.

She felt Miles tap her arm.

"This would be an excellent time to meet the other Pokemon you haven't been introduced to yet," he said kindly. Formora sighed. He was right, though she disliked the idea of it.

He came with her as she introduced herself to the rest of Team Valor, Venomoth and Skrelp. Bonsly was staring intently at a newspaper.

"Whatcha reading?" Miles asked nicely.

"I am trying to figure out this puzzle, but it's way over my head," Bonsly sighed. Miles looked at the puzzle, then tilted his head.

"Um, Bonsly? That's the horoscope. That's not a puzzle," he said.

"The day before yesterday it told me to seek new endeavors. But, today it's telling me to stick with what I know I'm good at. Well, which is it? Learn something new or don't?!" the smaller Pokemon raged.

Miles only shook his head in amusement.

"How are you three doing?" Formora asked.

"We're alright. We're slowly recovering from our incarceration," Bonsly sighed as the remains of his teammates looked down.

"Your in-what?" Formora frowned.

"Incarceration. Our imprisonment, confinement. Sorry, I try to learn a new word every day," Bonsly explained.

Formora nodded politely.

Seated next to them was Conkeldurr, who was also part of a one-Pokemon team, Team Formora asked why he named himself Team Omega, he responded gruffly that it was because he was the last thing his opponents ever saw.

Formora shuddered and headed away from the small group. She formally met Team Ascension, who were distant but cordial to her. After them came Team Supernova.

"Cate should be up in the training room, not wasting time here," Marvel the Furret was grumbling as he watched Cate, who was up on the stage with the rest of the band, help prepare for the concert.

"She does need the help," Troja, an androgynous Porygon-Z agreed. Troja spoke in an almost artificial tone.

The two didn't seem especially keen on speaking to Formora, so she left them and returned to her seat. Oksana had already returned, not a speck of blood on her.

Sorin, Cate, Charmeleon, Azumarill, Gabite, and Gothorita spent some time setting up their instruments and attaching them to speakers. Then they set up two big spotlights.

When they were done, Sorin nodded to Croconaw, who was waiting by the lightswitch. She flipped it, plunging the room into darkness. Formora couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face. Then the spotlights were turned on, illuminating the band.

Cate held her guitar erect with her Confusion, and at Sorin's signal she began strumming a few notes. She plucked the strings at the bottom with her hands, but she used her Confusion to pluck the strings at the top.

Cate began a simple tune, and Azumarill started up on the drums after a few seconds. After a few more moments, the entire band began playing a hard, guitar-heavy tune.

"If I had to, I would put myself right beside you, so let me ask 'Would you like that? Would you like that?' And I don't mind if you say this love is the last time, so now I'll ask 'Do you like that? Do you like that?' _NO_! Something's getting in the way, something's just about to break. I will try to find my place in the diary of Jane, so tell me how it should be!" Sorin sang, as the crowd cheered and sang along. Even Miles and Team Miasma were nodding their heads to the beat.

As Sorin continued his ballad against Jane, Formora became increasingly impressed by the raw emotion in his powerful voice. She could _feel_ the pain, the longing in his voice.

Now if only it were quieter, and less crowded in here. Then she might have actually enjoyed herself.

After that song ended, the six immediately dive into another one. This must have been a huge favorite with the audience, because the others were going absolutely _crazy_ with enthusiasm. Formora, on the other hand, held her hands over her ears, trying to block out the excessive noise.

"Life will come our way; it has only just begun," Sorin began. "The world will die alone! The frail will fall below! Time will take our place; we return it back to one. The calm before the cold! The long and lonely road! Look for the light that leads me home. Tired of feeling lost, tired of letting go! Tear the whole world down! Tear the whole world down! Tired of wasted breath, tired of nothing left! Tear the whole world down! Tear the whole world down! Failure…"

Now, _here_ was a song she could get behind. Formora was surprised to find herself cheering and singing along with everyone else. What had gotten into her? It was like the music had put a spell on her or something. Formora decided she didn't mind. She cheered wildly with the rest after the song ended.

The six played a few more songs after that, most of them about destroying the Dark's enemies. She liked those songs too, and was even sad when they played their final song.

The lights came on, and the band began packing up. Formora came up to the stage.

"That was amazing! Normally I don't like concerts, but you guys...you guys were awesome!" she exclaimed. All six grinned and blushed.

"Aw, thank you. We had a good time, too. We always play on Tuesdays and Fridays, so come see us again," said Gabite.

"I will. I really liked the second song you played," Formora nodded.

"Failure? That's most people's favorite too," Cate remarked as she put her guitar in its case.

Formora waved as the band departed, then she too left the cafeteria, heading up to her room.

She was surprised to find that it was almost bedtime. The concert had gone on much longer she had thought.

She settled into bed, reflecting on today's events. The look on Team Miasma's face when they saw what she did to that Buneary had been very satisfying. Granted, they did much worse to other Pokemon, but they hadn't been expecting _her_ to be brutal. Getting to wipe the looks off their smug faces had made her day.

Today had been rather fun, overall.

* * *

 **The songs the band sings are excerpts from Diary of Jane and Failure, both by Breaking Benjamin. All rights go to them, not I.**

 **I tried to tailor the boss fight song to the action and dialogue, but depending on your reading speed it may not match up. Ah well, I tried at least x.x**

 **Our protagonist seems to be coming around to the idea of inflicting pain. That's not good...**

 **The next post shall feature: a lesson with Oksana, a game of dodgeball, and a trip to the dungeon.**


	7. Chapter 7

Formora woke hazily, with the book she'd been practicing her reading on over her face. She must have fallen asleep while stumbling along the words. She put the book on her nightstand, and stretched before getting out of bed.

She was just in time for breakfast today, according to Teysa, so she went down to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat.

She was among the first few people in line, so she didn't have to stand long. She got some food, and headed over to her place at the high-ranking table.

It was just her and Gideon who were at the table, much to her delight. She wouldn't have to speak to anyone, and Gideon never spoke a word anyway. So, with much enthusiasm she ate her breakfast and hurried out of the cafeteria just as the others at her table were starting to arrive.

She headed up to the training room, but was disappointed to find that no one was there. Manectric and Gideon were probably still eating. No matter, she could practice by herself.

* * *

Manectric and Gideon found her blasting a dummy with Ice Beam, followed by a quick Astonish.

"You're pretty strong," Formora jumped in surprise at Manectric's remark. She hadn't heard anyone come in.

"I hope so, after all the work I've put into making myself more powerful," Formora replied, casually grabbing a towel from a rack by the door. She'd worked herself into quite a sweat.

"You seem to be pretty good with moves, so let's try some sparring, okay?" Manectric suggested as Formora wiped off her forehead. Formora paused and grinned at him.

Ten minutes later, Formora was thrown into the padded wall by Manectric's Discharge. She'd tried to come in close for an Astonish, but he had evaded and zapped her instead.

She scowled at him as she picked herself up off the ground. This had been the seventh time he'd done that to her.

"You came closer to me that time, but you're still too impatient. Learn to spot an opportunity when it presents itself. Take the time to observe your opponent's weaknesses," Manectric instructed.

"I'd rather _make_ opportunities than sit around and wait for a miracle," she hissed, diving back into the sparring match, where she was yet again thrown into the wall by Discharge.

"With your background, I understand why you say that. But, smart opponents will quickly realize that you'll just do their work for them if you continue that. Think of it this way, would you rather fight someone who's wide open or is biding their time until the right moment?" Manectric asked.

"Wide open," Formora replied, then realized what Manectric was getting at. She sighed. "Alright."

This time, she dodged Manectric's opening Thunder, then launched an Ice Beam right at his feet, causing him to jump. Since he could only go down, Formora caught him with Powder Snow as he fell. He stood up, shaking the snow from his body.

"Nice job! You waited until I made a mistake, then struck," he beamed. Formora smiled.

They spent the rest of the morning sparring, until Formora was drenched in sweat.

"That was a good session for today. You should take it easy now," Manectric advised as Formora drank from a water fountain.

"Again tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sure! See you then," Manectric nodded as she left.

She didn't quite know what to do now, since no one had arrived to tell her she was requested anywhere. She thought of what she might like to do, and her stomach growled in response. She'd worked up an appetite after that training session.

She headed back down to the cafeteria, thinking she might go for a picnic at the beach. She needed to get out of this compound for a while, anyway.

The cafeteria was empty when she entered. Not even Sorin and the others were there. She walked up to the kitchen door, then hesitated. Should she knock? Did they even serve food to anyone who came? As she stood there mulling it over, the door in front of her opened, and a Drapion bumped into her.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," he apologized, helping her off the floor.

"It's fine. Um...do you….could I…" Formora blushed with embarrassment, looking down at the floor.

"Need a snack?" the Drapion guessed. Wordlessly, she nodded.

"Gotcha. We have lunchy things out on the bar. Just take what you want. Good day," he said kindly as he scuttled off.

Formora wandered down the length of the bar, and paused. She needed something to carry her food in down to the beach.

"Need some help?" a Litleo asked kindly, peering out from the kitchen, where multiple Pokemon were running to and fro preparing food.

"Um...I want to go on a picnic, but…"

The Litleo knelt down and came back up, pushing a large wooden basket towards her.

"There you go. Just return that once you're done, okay?" he requested, smiling. Formora took it, and nodded.

"Thanks."

The Litleo nodded in return and went back to whatever he was doing.

Formora selected a few tasty-looking sandwiches, some chips, and an orange can of soda. Her lunch in hand, she went out the main entrance and began the trek down the mountain. She looked down at the bone-filled ditches curiously, noting the differences in shape and size in them. Whatever could that long one be used for? Or those pea-sized ones? She'd never know.

* * *

Once she made it to the base of the mountain, she followed a trail that led to the beach. As she followed it, the sound of a guitar and singing slowly became audible. Formora frowned. Funny, the singing almost sounded like Cate.

As she arrived on the beach, she discovered that the singer was indeed the tiny Espurr. She was singing a sorrowful song about abandonment and loneliness. She was crying when she finished her song. Formora frowned in sympathy, and went over to put a hand on Cate's shoulder. The Espurr jumped about a foot in the air when she did.

"F-Formora! You startled me!" Cate exclaimed once she had seen who had touched her.

"Sorry. I heard your song," Formora said softly. Cate went pale, and Formora sat down beside her, staring out into the ocean.

It was a nice, bright and sunny day out today. The water was a deep blue, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. If she could swim, today would have been the perfect day to go out into the water.

"You were a street kid too, right?" Formora asked, remembering Cate's story.

"Yeah," Cate's voice was just a squeak. No doubt she was embarrassed about being overheard.

"I was too. My parents never loved me, so I left home when I was fourteen. It was hard at times. I had to steal in order to survive, and break into places to sleep during the night. Winters were just _awful_. At least back home I had a roof over my head, broken as it was. I never thought about learning to play guitar in order to survive. I could never do it anyway. I'd be too self-conscious to play in front of others," Formora said idly. Cate stared at her for a few seconds, then warily sat down again.

"For a long time I was too nervous to play. I'd just practice by myself. But then winter came, and I had no choice. It was either play or starve or die of cold. I stuck to just playing my guitar, but while people would clap they wouldn't really tip me. So, one day I decided to be brave and try singing along to the tune. I was awful at first. I was better off staying silent. But then one day, a small Togepi who couldn't have been more than two gave me 10 Poké. I was surprised. This tiny little child loved my song enough to tip me. I was touched, and from then on I practiced singing as well as playing. Eventually I became passable enough that people gave me more money. *Sigh* Why _did_ my parents abandon me? I'd really like to know…" Cate sighed.

"Who knows? Mine only kept me around because they thought the childcare check the city would give them would be enough to get out of poverty," Formora shrugged.

"Childcare check?" Cate asked in confusion.

"You know, the money given to poor families with children. It's supposed to help them cover the cost of kids. It doesn't really help much, though," Formora explained. She could remember plenty of times in which her parents had 'explained' why the money they got wasn't enough.

* * *

" _Why do you cost so much?!" her mother hissed at a toddler Formora, who cowered in a dusty corner of the living room. "The money the city gives us for keeping you is_ nothing _! They don't give us_ nearly _enough of what it takes to keep you alive!"_

" _How does one tiny brat use up so much money?!" her father chimed in, with a baleful look at Formora. "How can the city think we can live off of this? This is just insulting!"_

" _You know...we don't have to spend_ all _our money on Formora," her mother said thoughtfully. "She stays in the house all the time, so we don't need to buy new clothes for her. The ones she has will do just fine for now. And we need food more than she does; we're the ones who work, after all. We just have to give her enough that she won't die, or the city will stop giving us the money. Also, she's never going to amount to anything, so we don't have to buy her toys or whatever."_

* * *

Good times.

"Yeah, I think you had it better," Formora nodded. Cate looked up in surprise.

"What?!"

"Would you rather have parents who hate you with every fiber of their being and make sure you don't forget it, or would you rather have no parents at all?" Formora asked.

Cate thought for a minute and shook her head.

"Honestly, I can't decide," she said. Formora reached out and put a hand on Cate's shoulder.

"No matter what you choose, Cate, you'll pull through. You and me, we're survivors till the very end," Formora said resolutely.

"That may be so...I have to go. Gotta go out on a mission," Cate sighed, standing up.

"You don't seem excited," Formora observed.

"With Troja and Marvel yelling at me for everything I do, it's kinda hard to be excited for a trip," the Espurr replied wryly.

"They're probably just jealous of your music abilities," Formora suggested, shrugging. Cate snorted.

"Somehow I doubt that. I'll see you later, Formora. And...thank you."

"For what?" Formora asked, but Cate was already halfway down the trail.

Formora spent an hour on the beach, eating her lunch and gazing out onto the main continent across the channel. What kinds of places were there, she wondered. What kinds of Pokemon?

Just as she was finishing the last of her soda, Clariel and Chlorr of Team Necro tapped her arm.

"Lord Giratina requests your presence," Clariel the Shield Aegislash informed her.

"How'd you know I was here? And where does he want me to go?" Formora asked.

"Cate told us. You're to go to the dungeon," Chlorr the Blade Aegislash replied. If Formora still had hair, the ones on the back of her neck would all be standing on end.

"What?" Formora squeaked, feeling fear shoot through her. Had she done something wrong? But _what_?! She couldn't think of anything she'd done to warrant a trip to the dungeon...

She'd have to fight her way out. She looked at the twin Aegislashes uneasily. Could she defeat them both? Doesn't matter. She _had_ to _._

"Lord Giratina has ordered Oksana to teach you anatomy and physiology of Pokemon," Chlorr replied. Formora wasn't sure she heard her right.

"What and what?" she asked warily. This could be a trick to make her lower her guard.

"Structure and function; how our bodies work," Clariel clarified.

"Why?" Formora demanded. That seemed an odd subject; why did she have to learn those?

"For the future," Chlorr said enigmatically, taking Formora's arm. "Now come."

Formora's brain was screaming that this was a trap, but her gut was telling her otherwise. Which would she listen to…?

Her gut. It had never led her astray.

She allowed herself to be escorted back up the mountain, but she did not lower her guard. Once the three were safely inside, they directed her to the left hallway.

"The entrance is the last door on the left," Clariel began, pointing.

"Once you're inside, take the door on the right. The one of the left leads to the library," Chlorr finished, taking the empty picnic basket from Formora.

That seemed an odd place for a library, but Formora wasn't concerned with home decor right now. She went down the hall, pausing at the door to the dungeon/library. From what she knew, horrible things happened down here. Whyever was she being sent to this wretched place?

If she didn't do as Giratina wished, then she'd see the dungeon soon enough—as a prisoner this time.

With a deep, shaky breath, she pushed open the door and began descending down dark, damp stairs. The stairway was lit only by a few stubby candles, but she didn't have legs so it wasn't like she had to watch her step or anything.

Eventually, she came to a fork in the steps. There were two doors facing her, each looking exactly the same. Both were blue, and brightly lit by large candles. Remembering Team Necro's advice, she took the door on the right, and began descending _more_ Stairs.

* * *

Finally, she reached the bottom. A maze of corridors dotted with many steel doors greeted her, and there was a Seviper quickly coming her way. She tensed, but quickly realized he wasn't a threat.

"You're Formora, right? I'm Ssssseviper. Okssssssana isssss in a meeting right now, but she'll be out ssssssoon. Follow me, if you would," he hissed, beckoning her to follow him.

She followed Seviper past many corridors, until she was thoroughly lost. Seviper stopped in front of a metal door that looked no different than the rest.

"She'll be out ssssssoon," he repeated as he slithered away.

Indeed, she hadn't waited more than thirty seconds before Oksana came out, looking quite satisfied. A pitiful moan came from inside the room, and Formora peered inside. All she could see was a dark figure slumped against a wall, shivering violently.

"Oh, hello Formora. You're just een time for our lesson. I'll be right weeth you. SCRAGGY!" Oksana bellowed, making Formora jump. A Scraggy quickly came running, trying not to trip over his 'pants'.

"Yes?" he asked. Oksana jerked her head towards the trembling figure in the room.

"Take heem to the Eveection Floor. And tell Miles that I have something sweet for heem to hear," she ordered. The Scraggy nodded.

"Of course," he said as he entered the room. Oksana looked at Formora.

"Now then. Shall we?" she asked, walking into the room opposite from where they were standing.

In this room, there was a large stone slab in the middle of the floor. There were four metal bands on it; two near the top and two near the bottom. On the walls were posters of various Pokemon, with their skeletons and...muscle (?) structure depicted. What?

"Thees ees where I train my new employees!" Oksana beamed as she closed the door behind them.

"Employees? Eviction Floor? Meeting?" Formora demanded, wanting to know the meanings behind all these weird terms.

Oksana laughed. "Haha, welcome to my dungeon! I'm the landlady-slash-warden, and the preesoners are my tenants! My guards are the 'employees'. The Eveection Floor ees where preesoners who are of no use to me anymore wait until I 'eveect'—keell—them. And when someone says that I am een a meeting, eet means I'm busy trying to get eenformation out of someone."

"You're insane," Formora stated. Oksana laughed again.

"Probably. I don't care. I'm having way too much fun to care. Anyway, Lord Giratina weeshes for me to teach you anatomy and pheesiology. Well! Let us begeen by learning the baseec body types. You can categorize a Pokemon's body structure eento fourteen deefferent ways. For example, there's 'head only', 'serpentine body', 'head and legs only,' and 'multeeple bodies'. An example of each would be, een order: Solosis, Ekans, Oddish, and Magneton," she began.

Despite Formora's misgivings about being down here with the sadistic Oksana, she reluctantly settled into the lesson. She found it rather fascinating, despite herself. When she had gotten the fourteen body types down, Oksana began teaching her the skeletal structure of each one.

"Of course, thees ees only a general outlook," the Eelektross shrugged. "As not every Pokemon een the same category weel have the exact same structure. For example, Solosis and Sunkern both belong to the 'head only' category, but unlike a Sunkern, Solosis doesn't have any bones. They're mainly just composed of carteelage and plasma. Steell, for the most part everything's seemeelar, bone-wise."

Next Oksana taught her the different muscles found in each body category. Again, she warned that this wasn't exactly the same for each Pokemon.

"Okay...I think I'm starting to get it," Formora said slowly after the lesson.

"Ah, but we have only covered a fraction of what truly makes a Pokemon function. But you do not need to know every seengle leettle detail. You like to battle, yes?" Oksana asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Not sure where she was going with this, Formora nodded.

"How do you feel about playing dirty?" Oksana went on.

"Anything to make sure you win," Formora shrugged. Oksana nodded.

"Then, allow me to show you the true reason why you are here," she said, pulling a cord by the door. Formora heard a faint ringing sound, and presently Seviper entered the room.

"Yesssss?" he inquired.

"Breeng me an example. I don't care who eet ees or where you get heem from," Oksana ordered. Seviper nodded, and left.

"What are you doing?" Formora asked, getting a bad feeling about this.

"I am going to show you the best areas een wheech to eenfleect pain. I could just _tell_ you, but having a live example would be much better," Oksana chuckled.

"I'm not actually going to _do_ anything! Just point out a few areas. Sheesh. Besides, deed or deed you not break a Buneary's leembs yesterday?" Oksana grumbled when Formora gave her a horrified look.

Formora paused. Oksana was right; she _had_ hurt another Pokemon yesterday. The Buneary's scream echoed in her head, and the memory of her eyes rolling up in her head popped into her mind.

Maybe this wouldn't actually be so bad…

Seviper opened the door, and threw a terrified-looking Shiny Prinplup into the room. Oksana swiftly grabbed the captive and lashed him to the stone slab, using the metal bands. Seviper handed her a raggedy rag, and Oksana silenced the Prinplup's protests by gagging him.

"Thank you Seviper," Oksana said idly as Seviper left.

Formora stared down at the captive. His eyes met hers, silently _begging_ and _pleading_ for her to help. She did not do such a thing. Even if she did, then what? They were both outnumbered, and there was no chance of escape for either of them. They'd be stopped before they even got started.

"Now. First I weell show you the body's pressure points. As I have said before, not all Pokemon weell have the same weak spots. Some have more than others. But, seence the majoreety of Pokemon have at least a head and body, thees makes eet easier for us. Good spots to strike are the temple, back of the neck, shoulder, and eenside of the elbow. That'll drop your opponents, and cause them great pain too! Although, be careful when striking the head or neck, as you may acceedentally keell them," Oksana instructed, tapping each point on the Prinplup's body in turn.

Formora nodded. That would certainly be useful in downing tough opponents quickly.

"Eef you just want to hurt them, then a palm to the forehead and nose are good ways to make someone see stars. Again, careful when doing so, as you may cause a concussion or death. Anyway, a punch to the throat ees _very_ effecteeve, but yadda yadda may keell them yadda yadda. You get the dreell. Now, the _eyes,_ however...The eyes are a _very_ weak spot.A queeck jab and your opponents are blind! Excellent way to deesarm someone! Eef your opponent has feengers, what you might want to do ees bend one or ten of them backwards. Makes even the toughest Pokemon scream like a leettle girl. Hee hee~ Also, a good punch to the solar plexus and sternum weell make a foe double over, allowing you to feeneesh them off. And finally, stepping on toes weell ensure that your foe cannot run away. Unless they're a Spearow or Pumpkaboo, but you get the idea." Oksana told her, again pointing to each spot on the captive's body.

On impulse, Formora reached out gently poked the Prinplup's eye. He protested weakly from underneath the gag, and Formora withdrew her hand, not wanting to blind him.

"Exactly!" Oksana beamed, nodding in approval. Then, "Eet's just about time for deenner; let's head on up, shall we? You were a good student; you deserve a good meal."

Formora had no idea how Oksana knew the time in this dark, underground place, but she didn't question the warden.

"Leave the tenant; Seviper weell deal weeth heem later," Oksana told her as the Eelektross escorted her out of the room, through the maze of hallways, and back into the proper fortress.

* * *

Formora blinked rapidly once her eyes encountered natural light, but eventually she adjusted.

She and Oksana got in line, then once they got their food they headed on over to their table.

"Oksana! Scraggy said you had something for me?" Miles hailed the warden as the two approached. Oksana sat down and delicately took a bite out of a bit of pasta.

Once she had chewed and swallowed, she replied, "The Lunar Wind are currently hiding in Deserted Desert."

Miles raised an eyebrow. "Oho, are they now? Well. I suppose I'll just have to get Team Leviathan to retrieve them."

"Who are the Lunar Wind?" Formora asked through a mouthful of salad.

"Cresselia's disciples. Most troublesome, they are. They help her try and thwart our plans," Cradily answered.

"Say, Formora...we're playing dodgeball tonight een the gym. Care to join us? I would be honored to play weeth you," Oksana offered.

"What's dodgeball?" Formora asked. Everyone at the table turned to her incredulously.

"Eet's the best gehme ever!" Sonya exclaimed.

"There are two teams on each half of the gym. Each player tries to hit a member of the opposite team with a ball. If they get hit, they're out. If they catch it, _you're_ out. Whichever team eliminates all the members of the other team wins. Headshots don't count," Vesuvius explained.

"Next month marks the beginning of the dodgeball tournament in Firewood City. Our team's gonna win this year!" Binacle said resolutely.

"Weell you play?" Oksana asked Formora.

"Sure," Formora shrugged. She'd spent many hours in Castelia City throwing rocks down at the sailors as they tried to work. This should be a piece of cake.

* * *

After dinner, those who wanted to play met in the gym. Fifteen balls lay along the line that divided the gym in half. To Formora's annoyance, Flora was among the players.

"Formora! You're joining us? That's, like, _totally_ awesome!" the Floette beamed.

Flora was thankfully silenced by a blow from Manectric's whistle.

"Alright, let's get started! Tonight's team captains have been picked and they are...Flora and Fauna!" he announced.

Formora felt her heart sink as the twin Floette stepped up.

"Chandra," Fauna said instantly. Chandra stood behind the white-flower Floette.

 _Please don't pick me please don't pick me please don't—_

"Formora, of course!" Formora sighed as Flora called out her name. Begrudgingly, she followed Chandra's act and went to stand behind Flora.

The sisters continued picking their players, until there was no one else to choose from. It was Flora, Formora, Croconaw, Hippopotas, Oksana, Sumatra, Tohoku, Cradily, Sorin, Finneon, Luxio, and Elgyem versus Fauna, Chandra, Kiora, Sonya, Miles, Binacle, Vesuvius, Katrina, Gabite, Spiritomb, Baltoy, and Houndoom.

The teams stood against the ball wall of their respective sides. Formora focused her sights on a shiny red ball that was right in front of her.

"Get ready….*TWEEEEEET*" Manectric blew his whistle loudly, standing off to the side.

Formora dashed over to the red ball, snatching it up and immediately pelting Baltoy, who had also been trying to grab the ball. Manectric blew his whistle, and Baltoy gave her a dirty look before skulking off to stand near the referee.

Formora looked up, and leaped to the side, narrowly missing a powerful shot from Sonya.

"Nice try!" Formora gloated at the Banette before retreating back into her team's territory.

She stood there, dodging balls and occasionally throwing a couple back. She had good aim, taking out both Kiora and Gabite. However, her own team had lost a few members too. Fauna nailed Cradily right in the gut with a fastball, and Vesuvius and Spiritomb teamed up to take out Sorin and Finneon.

"Hey, Formora! I haven't seen you in a while!" Formora tried not to groan as she turned to face Flora, who was standing right next to her.

"I've been busy," she replied coolly.

Flora nodded in understanding. "Oh, I bet. You're training hard to be just like us! You'll get there soon, I know it!"

"Thanks," Formora muttered, stooping down to pick up a ball and throw it at Miles. Bah, missed.

"Have I told you about the new makeup I've been using? It's specially designed to make my skin look younger and fuller. Eee! It makes me look _so_ pretty! I just love it! You should try it; it'll make _all_ the guys swoon when they see you, Formy!" Flora gushed.

At that, Formora turned to face the Floette, intending on giving Flora a piece of her mind. But, as she did, she felt something plant itself firmly in her gut, knocking her to the floor.

"Out!" Manectric called, gesturing for Formora to leave the battlefield. Across the room, Sonya was laughing and pointing.

"Nut so tough now, are you former-human?" the Banette taunted. Formora scowled and went to sit with the other losers.

As the game wore on, her team fared worse and worse, until finally the last member, Hippopotas, was tagged out.

"Fauna's team wins! Good game, everyone," Manectric announced.

"Aww...we'll win next time, Formora," Flora, who had been tagged out shortly after Formora, sighed.

Formora ignored her, and joined the others in congratulating the other team. She didn't feel like doing anything after that, so she went on up to her room and went to bed.

* * *

Over the next couple weeks, Lord Giratina had her train in the morning, and then her afternoons were spent alternating in her lessons with Simon and her other lessons with Oksana, down in the dungeon. Her basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills improved greatly, and so did her lessons in intrigue and Pokemon. Oksana continued to show her how the Pokemon body worked, and upon Formora's request she even began to teach her the ways of interrogation. Oksana sometimes let Formora sit in on her less-bloody 'meetings', always explaining what tactics she used and why afterwards, when they were alone.

Flora continued to be a huge pain, however. The Floette was always talking about unimportant things such as beauty or the newest diet with her. Formora, after a particularly interesting lesson in intrigue with Simon, decided to let Flora continue do this. Flora was a perfect subject to practice manipulation on, after all.

Lord Giratina was very pleased by her progress, and one night before she went to bed he appeared in her vanity mirror.

" **You are doing exceptionally well in everything, I hear,** " he told her. She smiled.

"I've found my true home," she said honestly. He nodded, pleased.

" **I am very glad to hear that. Really, I am. I feel ready to take the next step in your training to become a proper Champion."**

"What is it?" she asked eagerly. Would it be more dungeon exploring? She hadn't been to a dungeon since Lazy Bog.

" **Tomorrow, I am going to give you some teammates."**

* * *

 **I, for one, find the nickname 'Formy' adorable. Formora, however, would love nothing more than to smack anyone who dared call her that.**

 **The next post shall include: Team Renegade, a cave, and an ice-cold legendary.**


	8. Chapter 3 A Fateful Encounter

**Chapter 3. A Fateful Encounter**

* * *

Formora woke up scowling. She thought briefly about spending the entire day in bed, but grudgingly realized she'd have to come out sooner or later.

Today was the day she was going to meet her teammates.

She did not need teammates.

She did not _want_ teammates.

Formora was perfectly happy being by herself, as she had been for almost five years. She had survived all on her own ever since she was fourteen; to give her teammates was an insult. She prided herself on her independence, and even more she liked being alone. It was peaceful, being away from other people. You could actually hear yourself think, for one, and there was no one around to jostle you or make you pretend to be someone you're not. When she was alone, she could be her true self.

Lord Giratina had to know this, so why was he punishing her?

With an angry sigh, she threw the covers off of her and slammed open the door to the living room. She ignored Teysa's startled greeting and stalked down the tower and to the cafeteria.

She got in line for the buffet, and impatiently waited for her turn.

When she got to her table, she noticed distastefully that there were two new seats opposite her—for her teammates, no doubt.

Last night, when Lord Giratina informed her of her new partners, she'd complained and tried to get him to change his mind. But he had refused. When she demanded to know why, he had told her that it was good to have people who had your back. People she _trusted_.

He didn't know her at all.

"Excited for today?" Miles asked kindly as she slammed her plate down. She glared at him, saying nothing as she took a fork and angrily stabbed a chunk of watermelon, imagining it was Giratina.

"What's wrung? Can't handle having friends?" Sonya teased from across the table.

"Zip it, Ivanova. I'm not in the mood today," Formora growled at the Banette, who grinned.

"Ooh! Touched a nerve," Sonya laughed. Formora threw her fork at her in response.

"Stop eet, both of you, before I carve my name eento both of your skeens," Oksana intervened, holding up her knife threateningly.

Formora and Sonya backed down, each returning to their food. Formora, however, found she wasn't that hungry, and only picked at her breakfast.

She stared down at the table, lost in her stormy thoughts.

* * *

After breakfast, she was to head down to the beach to meet her new partners, who were arriving from some dungeon deep within the mainland. Sealed Abyss, Giratina had said. Apparently there was a smaller Dark base there.

Midmorning found her standing on the beach next to Lord Giratina, her arms crossed. She could see them approaching in a small wooden boat; a Vibrava was towing a Fraxure across the channel. Once the two had reached the shore, they stepped off the boat and onto the beach.

" **Ah, here you two are. I'd like you to meet Formora, your new teammate and our beloved Champion of Darkness,** " Giratina said warmly, nodding to Formora.

"Hello, My Lady. My name is Kialandi. It is an honor to meet you," the Vibrava bowed eloquently. She scowled at his posh accent.

"Heya. I'm Firnen," the Fraxure nodded respectfully.

"Formora," Formora introduced gruffly.

" **Kia and Firnen have done wonderful deeds for our cause. They'll be huge assets to you, and they'll be a great addition to our base. I understand everyone here's a little tense-** " Understatement of the year. "— **so as a teambuilding exercise I have a mission for you three,** " Giratina told the group.

Formora perked up at the sound of a mission, but scowled after a second. Her new "partners" would only weigh her down. Still, though, she had to admit she was aching for a chance to get out of the compound.

Giratina gestured to the mainland, across the channel.

" **Near the shore of the mainland lies a dungeon named Amethyst Cave. Your goal is to reach the end, where you'll find a surprise. I want you to bring me that surprise. Don't worry, you will know exactly what the surprise is when you see it. Once you've completed the mission, report back to me in the cafeteria. Understood?** " he informed.

Formora frowned, confused. How was he certain they would know what the 'surprise' is?

"How long is Amethyst Cave?" Kialandi asked calmly.

" **Seven floors,** " Giratina replied.

Formora's eyes went wide. Seven floors? The longest place she'd visited only had five floors. She had to deal with seven floors of being with _these two_?

Suddenly, the thought of being back in Castelia didn't look so bad.

Giratina used one of his large toes to nudge a brown bag over to Kialandi, who put it on.

" **That there was, ah, 'liberated' from the Exploration Federation. It'll hold eight items, which should be more than enough for you three. Now then, if everyone's ready, you may begin,** " Giratina explained before launching himself into the air. He launched a whirlwind from his mouth and onto the ocean, which immediately turned into a swirling, purple maelstrom. Giratina dove into the maelstrom, and promptly the violet whirlpool disappeared, leaving calm blue ocean once more.

"That was...intense," Firnen said slowly, staring in awe at the spot Giratina had disappeared.

"I've never seen our Lord go back to the Reverse World before. It's...astounding," Kialandi agreed.

"The Reverse World?" Formora asked, momentarily forgetting her unfortunate situation.

"That's the name of Lord Giratina's former prison. A dimension reverse to this one...how intriguing," Kialandi explained thoughtfully. He then gestured to the boat.

"Hop in, and I'll tow us across," he invited, taking hold of a thick rope at the front end of the boat in his four skinny arms.

Formora thought briefly about refusing, then sighed and complied, sitting as far away from the shore as possible. Firnen pushed the boat into the water, then took a running dive into the boat, causing it to rock violently.

"Watch it!" she glowered at him.

"Sorry," he apologized, settling in opposite her.

"Everyone ready? Good. Here we go!" Kialandi exclaimed as he beat his powerful wings. He turned the boat around, so that Formora's back was to the shore, then expertly propelled the boat forward.

Formora held on tightly to the sides of the small craft, looking fearfully at the water. If she fell out, she'd never resurface. Although, she had to grudgingly give Kialandi credit for his handling. The boat hardly rocked, and it was as if they were flying on air.

She ignored Kialandi and Firnen's attempts at conversation, until they finally took the hint and fell silent for the rest of the trip. They reached the mainland in only a couple minutes. Once Formora and Firnen got out of the boat, Kialandi tied the rope we was holding around a post set deep into the shore.

"There! That should hold her," he nodded approvingly before turning to the group. "We passed Amethyst Cave on our way here, actually. We can lead you to it."

Formora nodded once, and followed the two dragon-types as they led her down the beach, until they reached a small cave twenty minutes from the boat. The cave was set into a small cliff. It was mainly composed of dark gray rock, but Formora could see small purple stones embedded in the rock face as well.

"Here we are, Amethyst Cave. Are you two ready?" Kialandi asked as the group gathered outside the entrance.

"I'm ready. What about you, Formora?" Firnen nodded.

"I am. And I'll take the lead," Formora snapped, shoving past the two and heading into the dungeon.

* * *

 **Amethyst Cave ( watch?v=pSdFm9Hj-cs)**

 **B1F**

The inside of the dungeon looked mostly the same as the outside. The floors were made of a smooth, light gray stone, with black pebbles scattered throughout the room. The rugged walls were made of the same dark gray, and large crystals of the purple rock stuck out from the edges. Near the center of the room, a giant slab of the same purple rock stood erect.

"I see why they call it Amethyst Cave," Firnen remarked as he broke off a chunk of the purple rock from the wall.

"Is that what that's called?" Formora asked, pointing at the chunk in his hand.

"Indeed. Amethyst is a type of quartz commonly used in jewelry. It's mostly found in the southern continents near the equator, although it's been found here as well. It's said to bring good fortune and protect against sickness," Kialandi reported, staring at the stalagmite.

"I don't need a history lesson. Let's just go," Formora rolled her eyes as she began heading down the eastern path, which was closest to her.

The men raced after her, falling in line behind her.

"Is something wrong?" Firnen asked. Formora whirled around to face them, startling them both.

"I didn't ask to have you two around!" she shouted. "I was perfectly happy being by myself, and then for whatever reason Lord Giratina decides to give me two useless partners who'll do nothing but get in my way!"

Kialandi and Firnen exchanged a surprised glance with each other.

"I'm sorry you see it that way. But we're not useless, Formora. You could accomplish so much more with us by your side. We're strong fighters; Lord Giratina would never give you partners who are beneath you," Kialandi replied, looking at her dead in the eyes.

Formora crossed her arms.

"We'll see. You two defeat the first two Pokemon we come across, and then I might decide to tolerate you," she told them.

"Deal," the two chorused, shaking her hand.

Formora turned around and led the two down the hall, where they came to a large chamber. In the corner lay an apple, and coming towards them was a Geodude.

"Defeat that," she ordered Kialandi as she went to pick up the apple.

Kialandi nodded, and took to the air. The Geodude took a moment to Defensively Curl up into a ball, bracing itself for impact. The Vibrava's eyes glowed light blue, and a sandy tornado whipped up around the foe, pelting the Geodude as it became trapped in a Sand Tomb.

The Geodude let out a startled cry as the coarse sand pelted it over and over. It rolled up into a ball, charging straight for Kialandi. Kialandi said nothing, only stomped _hard_ on the ground, creating a small shock wave that knocked the Geodude out of its Rollout and sent it sprawling across the floor.

Quick as a flash, Kialandi was above the stunned foe. His wings glowed an opaque white, then with a powerful flap he released three white Sonic Booms onto the Geodude.

It disappeared in an instant.

Kialandi turned to the amazed Formora and shrugged. Formora blinked, then closed her open mouth. She had not been expecting _that_.

"Anyone could have done that," she dismissed quickly before heading down another hall. She ate the apple she held in her hand, regretting having skipped breakfast. She was hungry.

The next room held the stairs, as well as a Woobat. With an excited chitter, the foe flew towards the trio.

"My turn!" Firnen exclaimed joyfully as he leaped into battle.

He neatly evaded the Gust sent from the Woobat's wings, and gave it a vicious rap on the head. The Woobat fell to the ground, stunned from the super effective Assurance.

It quickly shook off its pain, and quickly caught the charging Firnen in Confusion. It lifted the Fraxure up, and slammed him roughly down onto the ground. Firnen hissed, but got back up and brutally rammed right into the foe. He then slashed at its face with his claws once, then twice, then just like that the foe was gone.

Firnen turned to Formora, obviously pleased.

"What did you think of that, My Lady?" he beamed. She paused.

"Call me Formora," she said before descending down the stairs.

 **B2F**

There weren't any foes when they came to the next floor. There was, however, some Poké nearby. Two halls to the south and west led out from the room. Firnen picked up the Poke, and together the trio headed down the western corridor.

"Giratina said you two were from Sealed Abyss? What's that like?" Formora asked after a few moments.

"Hot," the two behind her chorused empathetically.

"While Sealed Abyss lies near the far north, it runs deep into the earth, to where the underground magma lies near the mantle. It is both the home of the death Pokemon Yveltal as well as our second base. Magma flows freely in many places, and the base is but a giant labyrinth. Truly, both Firnen and I were pleased when Lord Giratina summoned us to the main fortress," Kialandi explained as they went through a small room and into another hall.

Formora nodded thoughtfully, then she glimpsed a Woobat swiftly heading their way. She got into a battle stance, ready for some action.

"Watch this," she said to her teammates as she shot a quick blast of Ice Beam straight at the incoming Woobat.

The foe blanched at this sudden attack, and with a pained shriek it fell to the ground. Before it could get back up, Formora was on it in no time, blasting it point-blank with her Powder Snow.

When her snow vanished, so too was the Woobat.

"Impressive," Kialandi nodded.

"Nicely done!" Firnen boomed.

The trio got moving again, and as they explored the floor the men told Formora their own reasons for joining the Dark.

Kialandi came from an upper lower-class family. His parents wanted him and his baby sister to do well in life, so they had taught them to act and speak elegantly, like nobles. Kialandi, when he was old enough to live on his own, drifted from dead-end job to dead-end job, until he met a recruiter for the Dark. He went to live in Sealed Abyss, until today. His favorite hobby, he said, was listening to other Pokemon scream. He compared it to a haunting opera, or a tearful ballad. He told Formora that his earliest memory was biting his infant sister until she wailed. As he grew older, he spent many hours tormenting his sister until her voice was hoarse.

Firnen, on the other hand, simply liked to smack other around for the sheer pleasure of it. When he was eight, he and his mother moved to a small neighborhood. He and his mother definitely weren't rich, but they hadn't been quite poor, either. When they moved, he was introduced to the neighborhood children. He happily bullied the children, pushing them around and vandalising their toys. Whenever the children complained to their parents, Firnen had put on a tearful show, exclaiming that he would never do such awful things. The kids' parents believed him, punishing their children for trying to frame the shy new kid on the block. And so, for a long time Firnen ruled the neighborhood, having cowed the others into doing practically anything for him. It was only natural he go on to join the Dark cause, he laughed.

Formora reciprocated by telling the two of her own childhood. How her parents hated her from the beginning, how poorly she was treated. She told them of the day she decided to run away. She spoke of her sixteenth birthday, when she woke up in the hospital having been found half-frozen by a married couple who offered to adopt her. She'd refused, and had lived on her own ever until last month, when she was brought here to this world.

In between these narrations, the trio battled the enemy Pokemon, picked up a couple more pieces of Poké, and also a Blast Seed.

They arrived at the Stairs just as Formora finished telling her story.

 **B3F**

There was only one exit in their starting chamber, so they had no choice but to take it. Small puddles of water had appeared on this floor: Formora made sure to be extra careful when walking next to one, lest she fall in.

The first room they came to had an apple, and as Formora was bringing it to Kialandi she spotted a Carbink and Geodude entering from the eastern corridor.

"Heads up," she warned as she threw a Powder Snow at the nearby Carbink.

Kialandi and Firnen looked up, and jumped into battle.

The Geodude rolled itself up into a ball and began to launch itself at Kialandi, who knocked it away with Bulldoze like he did on the first floor. As it flew through the air, Firnen intercepted it and smacked it up into the air like a volleyball with his Assurance. Kialandi sent the Geodude into oblivion with his Sonic Boom as the rocky foe tried to protect itself with Defense Curl.

Formora laughed, then grunted as a chunk of rock struck her body. She looked towards the Carbink as it Hardened itself in preparation of the incoming onslaught.

She, Kialandi, and Firnen surrounded the Carbink, staring daggers at the unfortunate foe. Then, Kialandi knocked it straight into Formora with his Sonic Boom. As it flew towards her, Formora stopped its flight with Ice Beam. The Carbink rolled across the ground until it came to a stop against Firnen's legs. Its eyes were screwed shut, and when it finally dared to open one, Firnen ended it with Assurance.

"Well. That was fun," Firnen remarked pleasantly as Formora took them down the hall the foes had come from.

To their satisfaction, the stairs lay within.

 **B4F**

To Formora's approval, the stairs were in their starting chamber, across the room. They descended just as a Carbink entered the room.

 **B5F**

This time, there was a Woobat in the room with them when they arrived. It flapped its leathery wings, creating up a powerful Gust that whipped at Formora's body. She shielded her face with her left arm, scowling as she shot a brief Powder Snow from her other hand and onto the foe.

It flew out of the way, but was caught by Firnen's Dual Chop. He struck it once, twice, then passed it along to Kialandi, who tackled it with a regular attack. The Woobat fell to the ground, where it bounced a couple times before it sluggishly managed to get back up into the air.

A transparent blue outline surrounded it, and Formora felt herself being picked up by some invisible hand that would not let her move no matter how much she struggled.

"Put me down!" she protested.

The Woobat obliged—by making her crash onto the ground. She lay there for a moment, seeing stars. She distantly heard the sounds of a scuffle nearby, and when her vision stopped spinning she looked up to see Firnen punch the foe into next week. It disappeared, and soon Kialandi was offering her a hand. She took it gratefully, wobbling slightly before righting herself.

"You okay?" Firnen asked.

"Yes. I'll be fine; just need to walk it off," she dismissed, leading them down the southern corridor, which was closest.

They passed through the hall without incident, and the room beyond that, but in the next passageway they walked down they encountered a Roggenrola.

The dark blue foe kicked off the encounter with Headbutt, jumping up and ramming itself straight into Formora's gut. She didn't really have an abdomen (more of a hollow tube), so she wasn't overly fazed by the attack. Still, it made her wince.

She sent the offending Pokemon back with Astonish, causing the tiny foe to flinch. She followed up with Ice Beam, and to her surprise Kialandi flew over her and breathed fire onto the Roggenrola! It disappeared instantly.

"Blast Seed," he responded when Formora asked him how he did that. Formora told him not to surprise her like that again, and they soon got moving once more.

All too quickly, though, the trio encountered a Meditite in the next room. The psychic/fighting-type began to Meditate, and the trio were quick to punish it with a simultaneous Ice Beam/Assurance/Sand Tomb.

The foe stood no chance, and they traveled the rest of the floor without further incident.

 **B6F**

They got moving quickly after arriving on this floor, eager to get to the end, which was fast approaching. The trio headed down multiple corridors and rooms, stopping once to pick up an Oran Berry. They were silent, determined to get this mission done soon, now that they were in the home stretch.

So it came as a surprise when Kialandi said right out of the blue, "I've never heard the name 'Formora' before. If I might ask, what does it mean?"

Formora jumped. No one had _ever_ asked that before. She needed a moment to process this.

"I've never heard 'Kialandi' or 'Firnen' before either," she countered. Truthfully, she hadn't socialized much when she was in the human world, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

"I'm named after an old king back in ancient days," Firnen piped up.

"And I'm named after my grandfather. It is relatively uncommon where I'm from. Not unheard of, though," Kialandi shrugged.

"So, what about you?" Firnen prompted.

Formora was silent for a long time as she led her teammates through the halls of the dungeon. After encountering a Meditite and Roggenrola, she still didn't say a word.

Right when Firnen was about to bring it up again, she responded, "My parents couldn't afford to have me in the hospital like everyone else, so I was born at home. I was born gravely ill. My skin was blue, and I wasn't responsive. My parents agonized over whether or not to bring me to the hospital. Poor families with children got money from the city, and they struggled between keeping me alive but having a huge hospital bill, or letting me die and saying goodbye to that money. Eventually, they decided to take me to the hospital. I lived, obviously, but they nearly had a heart attack when they saw the bill for treating me. The doctor told them that they were lucky; if they had waited four more hours then it would have been too late for me. That's when my parents started to hate me, because I was sick when I was born. I was named 'Formora' as a reminder that they could have avoided all that hospital debt if they had only waited four more hours."

Her parents had loved to remind her of that story. On her birthday, they always took special care to remind her that she had ruined their lives from the day she was born, and that she should've died instead.

Kialandi and Firnen were silent for the rest of the floor.

 **B7F**

When they arrived on the next floor, Formora could have sworn she could hear someone calling their names from deeper within.

"Do you...hear that?" she asked cautiously, staring down the hallway in which the noise was coming from.

"Yes. It almost sounds like Lord Giratina," Kialandi nodded, coming to stand beside her, also staring down the same hall.

"If it is, then we'd better hurry," Firnen advised.

Formora nodded, and the trio broke into a jog, following the call through three hallways and two rooms, cutting down any Pokemon who dared to get in their way.

Finally, they came to the source of the sound. There, in one of the puddles near the wall in a large chamber, was the image of Giratina. He seemed furious; he was restlessly lashing his tail back and forth, and he was trembling with rage.

"Lord Giratina! What is it?" Formora inquired as the group peered into the puddle.

" **Ah, there you three are! We have a problem. A** _ **huge**_ **problem. That uppity bastard Arceus actually** _ **did it!**_ **It brought a human here, to this world, just now! I felt it!** " Giratina roared causing the dungeon to shake briefly.

Formora's eyes widened.

"The Champion of Light...is here?" she said slowly. A human was here, chosen to undo her and all she was working towards?

" **Yes. Arceus did it when I had my guard down. Well,** _ **no longer**_ **! I am having Yveltal guard It closely, so that It will not be able to contact Its chosen. The human would already have been turned into a Shiny Pokemon by now. But, Arceus was clumsy. Interdimensional travel is quite dangerous these days, thanks to my sabotage. The former-human may have amnesia, or be mute, or anything like that. I'm shifting Miles' #1 priority to finding the Light Champion. He or she will** _ **not**_ **undo all of our hard work. You three finish your mission and come back to the base as quick as you can,** " Giratina ordered.

"Yes sir!" they chorused.

" **Be swift,** " Giratina repeated before leaving them.

"The Light will not succeed, Lady Formora. We have more resources and are much more organized than the enemy. They shall not win," Kialandi assured Formora.

Formora said nothing as her teammates led her through the rest of the dungeon. There was another former-human here, in this world. They would try to stop her. They would not understand her, or why she or anyone else in the Dark did what they did. They would not understand that the Dark was only trying to help the poor and suffering.

They would be some arrogant, holier-than-thou prick who saw nothing wrong with how things were.

They deserved to lose.

To die, even.

She hardly noticed that they had reached the Stairs.

 **Amethyst Chamber**

When the trio reached the end of the dungeon, they immediately saw what the surprise they were to bring back was.

And smiled.

A family of three Gardevoir lived here, it seemed. The end of the dungeon opened up to the outside towards the back, letting in sunshine. A garden was planted there, so that the family could eat.

The three Gardevoir—two parents and their child, it looked like—came closer to them, curious to see the new visitors.

The parents were Shiny. Their child (who wasn't actually a child, but a young adult) was not.

"Hello. I don't think we've seen you three around before," the mother greeted amiably.

Formora, Kialandi, and Firnen responded by blasting the trio with Ice Beam, Dragon Rage, and Bulldoze. Formora's Ice Beam froze the mother solid, while Kialandi's Bulldoze knocked the father and daughter off their feet. Firnen's Dragon Rage sent the father sprawling.

"What are you doing?!" he demanded, aghast.

He dodged Formora's Powder Snow, and managed to hit Kialandi with Magical Leaf before being felled by Firnen's vicious Dual Chop.

"Wanda!" he gasped at the daughter, who was just standing there and staring uselessly. "Run!"

"But…" the daughter protested as Formora, Kialandi, and Firnen came closer to her father.

"GO!" her father screamed.

The daughter ran, Teleporting out of the cave. The trio let her; their prize were the two Shiny parents, not her.

They laughed as they brought their captives home.

* * *

After dropping the prisoners off with the twin Blissey door guards, Formora led the two newcomers to the cafeteria, pointing out everything they passed. She was reminded of her first full day here, when Miles took her on a tour through the building. It was hard to believe that was only less than a month ago.

As they reached the cafeteria, Formora started to feel colder and colder. It wasn't a bad feeling, actually. In fact, it was downright fantastic! The cold settled over her, making her feel more comfortable, more relaxed. It had been hot since she had first come to this world; some cold was just what she needed! Kialandi and Firnen, however, were shivering.

"What's up with you two?" she inquired as she paused in front of the doors to the cafeteria.

"T-too cold," Kialandi chattered.

"Yeah," Firnen agreed.

"Coming from th-there," Kialandi pointed to the cafeteria. Confused and intrigued, Formora opened the doors.

Lord Giratina was there, along with Miles and a large, gray Pokemon. All three looked up when they entered.

" **Ah, there you three are,** " Giratina hailed, sounding grim.

"We finished the mission. The two Gardevoir are being transported down to the dungeon," Formora informed as the three approached.

" **Excellent. Kyurem, this is Formora, Kialandi, and Firnen. You three, this is Kyurem, a legendary,** " Giratina introduced.

Kyurem was the source of the cold. It radiated from him like an aura.

"A pleasure to meet our fine Champion and her teammates. My name is Kyurem, and I run a small branch of Dark members up near the center of the mainland. I will be staying here for a few days, as I decided to follow our wonderful leader's footsteps and train a disciple. I am searching for suitable candidates to be my trainee," the chilly legendary introduced,

"I will leave now before you all freeze. See you around," he continued as he exited the room, leaving the trio alone with Giratina and Miles. The room got warmer as Kyurem got further away, much to Formora's disappointment. Giratina turned to the trio, looking grave.

" **Shortly after Arceus brought Its human here, Miles got a vision, and it is not good. ...What is with those looks on your faces? Ah, I see. Miles, being an Absol, can predict natural disasters, but you already knew that. Miles' personal abilities go further than that, though, to where he can See glimpses of the future,** " Giratina explained. Miles stepped forward somberly.

"Formora, you and the Light Champion are destined to fight each other one day, for the fate of the world. This battle will determine if the Dark brings in a new era, or if all succumbs back to the Light. But, during this battle...one of you will die. That is what I Saw," Miles reported.

Formora shrugged, shocking everyone.

"I know I'll win," she said simply. "I'm a survivor, and I won't let anyone get in my way."

" **That's...uh, rather optimistic of you. Oh, I almost forgot. Formora, what do you think of your new teammates?"** Giratina asked.

"I'll keep them," Formora shrugged.

" **Good. Now that you three are a team, you need a name. What will it be?"**

Formora thought about it, then smiled. "Giratina is the Renegade Pokemon, right? Then we will be Team Renegade." she answered.

" **You flatter me. I will make your team name official. You may keep that bag I gave you. In any case, I will leave you all now. Miles, keep working on finding the Light Champion. And let me know if you See anything else,** " Giratina said as he vanished into the mirror on the wall.

Dinner soon came, and Formora's tablemates were eager to meet her new partners.

"How could you stand Sealed Abyss? It's much too hot!" Katrina marveled.

"You learn to deal with it," Firnen shrugged.

"Deed you get any snow, being so close to the north?" Oksana asked.

"Sometimes, but it melted long before it ever reached us. I must say, though, it is an honor to meet the infamous Oksana. Your deeds are told in hushed whispers throughout the land. What is your story?" Kialandi flattered. Formora wanted to know, too. It occurred to her that she had never heard Oksana and Sonya's reasons for joining.

The Eelektross and Banette fell silent, sharing a mournful glance with each other. Then Oksana sighed. "Eet's not a pretty one...Thees happened about five or seex years ago. Sonya and I leeved een our home country, Rossiya. Eet's across the ocean, to the west. Anyway, war weetheen the country was brewing for many years, until finally eet came to a head. Our home was attacked by a party from the opposing side. They...they started keelling everyone. Our parents told us to run, right before they were slain. We ran, but our younger brother, Sergey, deedn't make eet….We fled to the coast, where we stowed away on a boat and came to thees country. We couldn't speak your language. We only had each other. For months, we stole and mugged, just trying to survive. One day, Lord Giratina's face appeared in a puddle. To our surprise, he spoke to us een our mother tongue! He said he too knew what it was like to be all alone, and he offered us a place here, in the Dark. The end," she narrated, tears welling up in her eyes. Across the table, Sonya sniffed,

"When we were escehping, Oksana told me nut to look back, but I deed...I wutched as they beheaded my leettle brother, who was just an eennocent child…" she whispered.

The table was quiet, dinner having been ruined by that horrific tale. When it was time for everyone to leave, Formora showed her teammates to their rooms, which were on the floor directly below her. She bid them goodnight, then settled in for a long, peaceful bath, and then it was lights-out.

* * *

Over the next couple of days, Formora spent her mornings training with Kia and Firnen, whom she grew to like more and more. They shared her love for battling, her passion for strength, and they understood what it was like to be poor. In the afternoons, Simon taught her about the various items and traps found in dungeons. Miles didn't find the Light Champion, but Giratina was confident that he would soon.

On Monday night, Formora went to bed giggling at a joke Firnen had made before she said goodnight to them. She was quite happy these days, and why shouldn't she be? She had a home, warm food, and friends who had her back. She couldn't imagine doing missions without them.

They weren't half bad, her new teammates.

* * *

 **Hm, our protagonist belongs to an actual team now. How will they influence her? For better? For worse?**

 **To Guest: why yes, that is indeed where her name comes from! And Kialandi and Firnen too :D**

 **The next post shall contain: A detective, a Shiny Chikorita, and a fateful encounter**


	9. Chapter 9

After Formora woke and came into her living room, Teysa informed her that Lord Giratina wished to speak with her and her teammates after breakfast. She thanked the Cinccino and headed on down to breakfast.

To her delight, Kyurem and his cold aura was here, making the room quite chilly. He had his own table to the side, between the stage and the buffet bar. He was too large to fit anywhere else.

"Any luck?" she asked Miles once she'd gotten her food. He shook his head, saying that he still had not found the Light Champion.

"You know, it was only a few weeks ago that we'd gotten the order to capture any Shiny Pokemon we found. If the Light's Chosen only appeared a few days ago, then why were we kidnapping them before?" Kia inquired.

"Lord Giratina wasn't sure that Arceus lacked the power to bring a human here without his notice. It was entirely possible that It could open up another dimension without his detecting it. So, better safe than sorry. Also, by capturing the Shinies, we make the enemy more visible. By decreasing the number of Shinies in the land, it makes any remaining Shinies stick out like a sore thumb. That's why," Vesuvius explained kindly.

"That makes sense. Thank you," Kia nodded graciously.

"So now that we know the Champion is here, what will you do with all the Shinies you have now?" Formora asked Oksana, who rubbed her hands together eagerly.

"They're useless to me now, so I have a beeg day of housecleaning to do!" she beamed.

"You're going to slaughter them all?" Firnen asked incredulously.

"You have a better use for them?" Oksana shrugged.

"...No, not really," Firnen said after a moment's thought.

* * *

After breakfast once everyone else had left to attend to their duties, Team Renegade stood on the stage, in front of the large mirror that was attached to the wall. The mirror's surface shimmered, then an image of Giratina appeared.

" **I have a job for you three. Have you heard of Detective Mawile?** " he began. Formora shook her head, while her teammates nodded, a sour look on their faces.

" **Detective Mawile is a private eye who specializes in taking down dragon-type outlaws. Him being a steel/fairy-type gives him a huge advantage over dragons. He's been a pain in our side for some time. He's taken down many fine Pokemon, and lately he's been sniffing around for word on Formora. It seems you are his latest target, despite not being a dragon-type. Your goal today is to take him down. Alive, preferably. He's arrested so many of our own, it is time for** _ **him**_ **to see what it's like behind bars,** " Giratina explained. Formora smiled viciously. Here was a _real_ mission. Her hands were quivering in anticipation of beating her target's face in.

"Do you know where he is? It's hard to take someone down when you don't know their location," Firnen asked.

" **He was last spotted around Parched Plains, which is close to a dungeon named Joyful Forest. He's been quite vocal in his investigations there. Lead him to Joyful Forest, then take him out. The dungeon is over by the southwestern corner of the continent, so once you are done call for me in the ocean, and I will send transport. Joyful Forest is a laughingstock of a dungeon; it's only three floors long, and it houses some of the weakest Pokemon you'll ever meet. It'll be no problem getting through. Understood?"** Giratina said.

"Yes!" Team Renegade shouted, eager to get started.

" **Good. In the bag I gave you yesterday you'll find a map of the continent, as well as a Wonder Orb. That orb will help you defeat Mawile. Now then, be off!** " Giratina intoned as his image shimmered, then the mirror went back to reflecting the three bloodthirsty Pokemon.

The trio set out at once, racing down to the beach. Kia towed Formora and Firnen across once more, and they followed the map's directions until they reached the entrance to Parched Plains.

It was late afternoon by the time they reached the dungeon entrance. The grass outside the dungeon was dry and quite dead. It looked like a good rain would liven things up, but the sky above was completely cloudless. There was no sign of their quarry.

"Kia, you scout around and find him. Firnen and I will wait outside Joyful Forest. Lead him here, and we'll set up an ambush at the end. What kind of orb did Lord Giratina give us, anyway?" Formora directed.

Kia dug around in the bag he carried, and pulled out the most harmless-looking orb Formora had ever seen. It was covered in glittery rainbows, and the sunlight made it shine in all colors. How the hell was this girly thing supposed to defeat Mawile?!

"It's a One-Shot Orb, Lady Formora," Kia explained when she voiced her disbelief. "It looks harmless, but it'll knock out anyone just like that." he said, snapping his fingers. Formora still wasn't convinced, but decided it wasn't worth arguing.

"Fine. Let's go, then," she said, looking at the map to see where Joyful Forest was. It was by a small town called Lily Town, which was only a few minutes away.

Once she'd learned where to go, she and Firnen headed in that direction while Kia took to the skies, circling around for any sign of their quarry.

As she and Firnen came closer to Joyful Forest, they stumbled upon a small cottage set in the woods. A Meganium was cheerfully gardening in the backyard, humming a light tune. What was more exciting, however, was her kid. A Shiny Chikorita was helping her mother pull weeds.

Stealthily, they crept up on the two, who were oblivious to their approach. When they were close enough to the mother and child, Formora silently counted down from three with her fingers, which coincidentally she only had three of. When she reached zero, she and Firnen attacked the mother simultaneously with Ice Beam and Dragon Rage. The mother's hum turned into a startled shriek as she was sent flying across her precious garden. Carrots and potatoes were uprooted as the mother bowled across the land.

"Go go go!" Formora shouted as Firnen snatched up the petrified Chikorita.

Laughing, they raced to the entrance of Joyful Forest, pleased with their unexpected find. The dungeon was set in a small forest, and the entrance was nothing more than a path that led to darkness.

"Oh, Lord Giratina will be so happy with us! We'll bring back Detective Mawile _and_ a Shiny!" Firnen laughed. Then, to the shrieking toddler he held in his hands, "Shut up, or I'll give you something _real_ to cry about!"

The baby, cowed, reduced her screaming to loud sniffles.

"That's better. Now all we have to do is wait for Kia," Formora nodded. She could deal with sniffles. It was the obnoxious screaming she couldn't stand.

"Speak of the devil," Firnen said, pointing to the sky. A Vibrava was flying quickly towards them.

"That was quick," Formora observed when Kia landed, looking behind him for any sign of Mawile.

"Looky what we found," Firnen beamed, holding up the Chikorita.

"Oh, nice…" Kia panted, obviously tired. "You two left just in time. I found him not two seconds after you guys left. I got him to follow me. We should be quick; he's right on my tail."

"Excellent work. We can use this Chikorita as a hostage as well. Come on, let's get going," Formora nodded as she turned around and entered the dungeon.

* * *

 **Joyful Forest ( watch?v=PoOdQc2V74Y)**

 **B1F**

The dungeon was quite grassy inside. There were a few patches of dirt here and there, and tall rocky cliffs kept the four contained. On top of the cliffs lay ferns and logs. A couple of shrubs grew along the edges of the walls, and a few pink flowers dotted the landscape.

"Well, this shouldn't be too bad. Let's hurry so we can set up before Mawile arrives," Formora said, looking around the room. The chamber was large, and there was only one exit, which led to the east. Firnen kept a tight hold on their captive as Formora led them through the dungeon.

To their luck, the first room they came to led to the stairs. However, a Budew was guarding it. It sent out a glowing green Absorb from its bud, intending of draining Formora's energy. She moved out of the way, and blasted the impudent foe with her Ice Beam. The foe fainted immediately.

She and her teammates shared a look. Giratina had been right; this place _was_ a laughingstock.

 **B2F**

The small chamber they arrived in held an Oran Berry, as well as a Wurmple and Caterpie. Both Worm Pokemon covered Formora in String Shot, which they spat out of their mouths. The sticky threads entangled her, making it difficult for her to move around.

As she struggled to escape, Kia stepped up and launched a powerful Sonic Boom from his wings towards the Wurmple. The Wurmple crawled out of the way, and spat another String Shot back at him. He flew up into the air, dodging the attack, and successfully hit it with Sonic Boom. Firnen, meanwhile, had already taken out the Caterpie with a purple-blue Dragon Rage.

After the foes had been vanquished, Kia and Firnen helped rescue Formora from the String Shot. They set forth once more, picking up 11 Poké in the next room they came to. After a brief encounter with a Budew in a hall, they finally came to the stairs.

 **B3F**

"Alrighty, last one!" Firnen said, nodding resolutely. The Chikorita began struggling again, but she quickly ceased when he threatened her again.

There were hallways leading in all four directions, so Formora chose the southern path, which led her straight into the hands of a Budew. The green foe managed to hit her with Absorb, but she laughed in its face when it only drained about 1% of her energy. It fell to only a single Powder Snow.

The next room they came to didn't have anything, but the one after that held the stairs.

 **Joyful Forest Depths**

They came to a small clearing, surrounded by an equally small cliff. The floor was ringed with tiny flowers, and the grass was lush and springy.

The trio set up in the middle of the clearing, preparing for the ambush.

"Alright, once Mawile shows his face we'll tell him to surrender or else the kid gets hurt. If he's as righteous as any law enforcer, then he'll back down. Then we'll hit him with the One-Shot Orb. After that, we'll drag him and the kid back to base!" Formora plotted, crossing her arms and smiling. Today was going all according to plan.

"Hopefully we have the right Shiny this time," she added.

"Chikorita!" a female voice said from behind.

Confused, Formora turned around, and was even more confused when she saw a Litwick with a blue flame and green eye along with a Pumpkaboo standing in front of the exit. Why were they here? The answer came to her.

"Tch! An exploration team's followed us!" she scowled. They must have been in the area when she and Firnen kidnapped the Chikorita. Kia and Firnen forced the captive into the back corner before standing beside Formora.

"They don't look so tough," Firnen observed, crossing his arms.

Indeed, the two did not look like experienced explorers at all. They must be new, or something. That was entirely fine with Formora. She and her team would have to defeat these two quick, before Mawile arrived. Though the two ghost-types weren't that threatening on their own, Formora and her friends only had one One-Shot Orb they couldn't afford to waste. She didn't want to risk it.

"Firnen's right, we can take them," Kia nodded resolutely, getting into a battle stance.

"Hush, you two. So, exploration team, I assume you're here to rescue this kid?" Formora asked. Hopefully they weren't here to help Mawile.

"We are. Who are you?" the Pumpkaboo demanded. Inwardly, Formora breathed a sigh of relief. The team didn't know about the true reason Team Renegade was here. Excellent.

"Who are we? We are none other than the infamous Team Renegade!" Formora beamed, spreading her arms. Okay, they weren't _that_ infamous yet, but what the duo didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Actually, it _would._

"I am the scourge of the sky, Kialandi the Vibrava!" Kia exclaimed, spreading his wings.

"I am the toughest fighter of them all, Firnen the Fraxure!" Firnen laughed, pounding his fist into his hand.

"And I am the leader, the gloriously beautiful Formora the Froslass!" Formora smirked.

Mentally, she cursed herself. 'Gloriously beautiful'? Flora must be rubbing off on her. That thought was absolutely horrifying, so she resolved to beat these two ghosts into submission to make herself feel better.

"Well, I'm Carys the Pumpkaboo, and this is Ezra the Shiny Litwick! And we're here to stop you!" the Pumpkaboo declared.

"The Litwick _is_ Shiny...She could be the one we want," Kia said to Formora, who nodded.

"Yes, this is true. Alright! We'll knock out them both, and take the Litwick and Chikorita to the boss," she said.

"What? You're not taking me anywhere! Bring it!" the Shiny Litwick challenged, getting into a fighting position.

Finally. "You're on!" Formora laughed, eager to beat these two into next week.

 **Boss Battle ( watch?v=ygyraTutBJg)**

"Ezra! Formora's weak to both Astonish and Ember! Focus on her!I've got Kialandi and Firnen!" the Pumpkaboo shouted to her partner. With a loud shriek, she barreled into Kialandi and Firnen. Formora recognized the attack as Astonish.

"Um, right! Ember!" the Litwick shouted, sending a few scorching-hot embers from her blue flame and onto Formora. She hissed as the burning coals landed on her body. The weather was hot enough; she did _not_ need these embers to keep her warm!

"Ow! You'll pay for that. Let's see how your partner likes my Powder Snow," Formora snarled, spreading her hands wide and sending out a wide spray of Powder Snow. The Litwick didn't seem too hurt when she was hit, but the Pumpkaboo wailed in pain.

"I'm weak to ice-types!" she cried, narrowly dodging a regular attack from Kia.

"Confuse Ray, times two!" she continued, sending out four twirling lights around Kia and Firnen's heads. Upon glimpsing the lights, their eyes went glassy, and they stumbled around, attacking at nothing. Formora scowled. This fight wasn't ending as quick as she would have liked. Mawile would be here any second.

"Hmph, not bad. But have another taste of my Powder Snow!" she stormed, shooting out a quick blast at the Pumpkaboo that sent her flying. She landed with a satisfying crash against the far wall.

"Carys!" the Litwick exclaimed, coming to kneel by her friend.

"She's too strong! One more hit like that and I'm out!" the Pumpkaboo sobbed weakly. Formora perked up at that. One more hit, huh? That was good to know.

Formora turned to Kia and Firnen, who were just starting to snap out of their confusion. To her left, the Litwick was saying something about never giving up and not allowing Team Renegade to win. Formora tuned them out, glancing back to the Chikorita. The baby was still where they left her, cowering in a corner. Excellent.

"Okay, here I gooooooooo!" she heard the Litwick shout. Formora turned just in time to be rammed by the Litwick. Formora grunted as she was sent sprawling across the floor. Once she had her wits about her again, she noticed that the Litwick had landed on top of her.

"Ugh, get off me!" she growled, knocking the Litwick back with a powerful sweep of her arm. The Litwick was flung back near the exit.

"Razor Leaf!" the Pumpkaboo exclaimed, sending razor-sharp leaves onto Kia.

"Ahh!" he hissed as he was lacerated by the leaves. He fell to ground, stunned.

"Kia! Alright, enough of this! Prepare to meet your doom: Ice Beam!" Formora exclaimed, summoning the light blue ball between her hands. She was going to turn that Pumpkaboo into a Pumpkaboo Popsicle.

"I have an idea, Carys! Don't worry about Formora!" the Litwick shouted, popping something into her mouth and running towards Formora.

Just as Formora was about to unleash the attack, the Litwick spat out fire all over Formora. Formora screamed, ending the attack as she tried to shield her face from the force of the Blast Seed. It was _much_ too hot! She could hardly stand it!

"Ahhhh!" Formora screamed as she fell to ground at the same time as Firnen, who'd been struck by the Pumpkaboo's Astonish.

The trio stood back up after a moment's rest. They weren't even close to being done, but they needed this fight to end _now_ , before Mawile arrived.

"Ah...Hah...You two...are strong for...an exploration team," Formora panted, dusting herself off.

"We're not an exploration team," the Pumpkaboo frowned.

"What?!" Team Renegade screeched. Had they heard her right?!

"We got attacked by ordinary Pokemon?!" Firnen gasped in disbelief. Formora was done with this. They needed to leave _now._

"Quiet! We won't speak of this to _You-know-who_. Let's get out of here!" she scowled.

"You haven't seen the last of us!" Kia scowled as they ran out of the clearing, hoping the two Pokemon would go after Chikorita and not them.

* * *

The trio ran out of the dungeon—and straight into the arms of Detective Mawile. The two parties paused for a startled moment, not expecting to run into each other. Formora recovered first.

"RUN!"she shouted, racing to the east. Kia and Firnen came out of their startled trance, and followed her.

"Stop!" she heard Mawile shout from behind. They ran away from the dungeon, so that Mawile could not rely on the Litwick and Pumpkaboo for help.

"Kia, take the One-Shot Orb and hit him," Formora hissed to Kia, who was flying low next to her. He nodded, and took to the sky.

Formora and Firnen skidded to a halt, and whirled around to face the detective. Formora shot an Ice Beam at her quarry while Firnen dove in close to land an Assurance. Mawile ducked underneath the Ice Beam, and neatly side-stepped out of the way of Firnen's Assurance. Formora had to give him credit; he was an experienced fighter.

"Wait, where's the third one?" Mawile paused, scanning the area. The answer came to him, and he looked up at the sky just as Kia lobbed the One-Shot Orb at him.

The Orb shattered instantly upon crashing into his face. A storm of glitter came out of the orb, where it surrounded Mawile until not even a speck of his body was visible. He only had enough time to let out a quick scream before all was silent. After a second, the glitter disappeared. When it did, Mawile collapsed onto the ground, out cold.

Formora stared in shock, then burst out laughing. That had been the best thing she'd ever _seen!_

"Nice job, Kia!" she giggled, clapping her hands in approval. Kia landed beside her, and bowed with a large smile.

"It's too bad that we couldn't bring that Chikorita with us," Firnen sighed. Forora looked at him with a playful, wicked smile.

"Who says we can't? No one will be expecting us to return for the kid. The best time to attack is when your enemies think they've won," she quoted. That had been Simon's latest lesson in intrigue, and she'd been eager to try it out.

"Ooh, excellent thought! Let's fetch what's ours, shall we?" Kia laughed.

Maliciously, the trio walked back to the cottage as the sun began to set. They hid in the bushes, alert for any sign of the Litwick and Pumpkaboo. There was no sign of them, so the trio tiptoed up to the front door.

Formora readied a double-Ice Beam as Firnen knocked politely. The Meganium opened the door.

"Hi," Formora grinned before unleashing her attacks. The Meganium crashed against the back wall of the snug cottage. She tried to fight back with Razor Leaf, but Firnen's Dragon Rage turned the leaves into ashes.

Kialandi and Firnen kept the mother busy while Formora searched for the Chikorita. She found the wailing tot in the living room. She picked up the baby and rushed out of the house, her teammates following suit. The men had knocked the mother unconscious, so there was no one following them as they went back to the spot they had left Mawile. Thankfully, he was still out cold, so they dragged him over to the ocean.

Team Renegade called Giratina, whose face appeared in the water. He was immensely pleased at their successful capture of Mawile, and was delighted when they showed him the Shiny Chikorita they'd found. He told them to sit tight, that Sumatra of Team Terra would be arriving soon.

As he'd promised, Sumatra picked them up half an hour later, and the five went back to the fortress. Sumatra took both Mawile and Chikorita, saying she'd drop them off at the dungeon for the triumphant trio.

* * *

Formora, Kia, and Firnen were laughing as they made their way up the mountain, congratulating each other on their victory. It was a shame they couldn't have gotten the Litwick as well, but she was unlikely to stick around after encountering villains like them. She could be anywhere by now.

Dinner was full of festive fanfare. Everyone congratulated the trio for taking down a hated and elusive enemy. Even Team Miasma were impressed by their actions. Being the Assassin's Guild, they were more interested, however, with Oksana's exploits.

"What's today's number?" Cradily eagerly asked the warden.

Oksana beamed. "192!" she exclaimed proudly.

"You killed _192_ Pokemon today?!" Formora demanded incredulously.

"Yep. I played two games of Deceemation, then a game of Vote Off the Island. Both are good ways to cull the number of unwanted tenants," Oksana nodded.

"What's Decimation and Vote Off the Island?" Firnen asked.

"In Deceemation, I lock myself in a large room weeth exactly 100 preesoners. Then, I start at one end of the room, and begeen keelling every Pokemon I reach. However, I always leave every tenth Pokemon I encounter alive, unteel only ten survivors remain. Don't worry, I make eet quick; usually I just snap their necks. Een Vote Off the Island, I lock an even number of Pokemon een a room. I tell them they have a certain amount of time to decide to keell off someone. Eef they don't have their answer by the time I come back, I keell them all instead. I make them repeat eet unteel only two remain," Oksana explained brightly.

"That's just cruel. How do you make sure they believe you in the last one?" Kia asked.

"I always eenclude a couple of veterans whenever I start a new game of Vote Off the Island. That way, they can encourage the others to cooperate. Or, eef they all decide to call my bluff, I keell them all in front of regular prisoners. _Then_ I make the new batch, who've seen what happens eef they don't cooperate, play the game," Oksana replied.

"The rumors of your cruelty are much more mild than the reality," Kia said, shaking his head.

Oksana giggled. "You're too kind. Are you going to the concert tonight?"

"Concert?" Firnen tilted his head.

"Every Tuesday and Friday we have music playing here in the cafeteria. You two should stick around; you'll love it," Formora explained.

"Oh that sounds lovely. Sure," Kia responded.

Once everyone had finished dinner, Sorin and his band began setting up for the concert. They set up the microphones, amplifiers, and lights. Then, once they were ready, Cate started a slow riff Formora had never heard before. Azumarill and Gabite joined her, and soon the entire band was playing a deep melody.

"Crowded streets are cleared away, one by one," Sorin began softly. "Hollow heroes separate, as they run. You're so cold keep your hand in mine. Wise men wonder while strong men die! Show me how it ends; it's alri-ight! Show me how defenseless you really are! Satisfied and empty insi-ide! Well that's alright; _let's give this another try_!"

Sorin continued his song, which Formora figured was about insulting the Light's weakness. After it came Diary of Jane, and a few more songs Formora had heard before. Eventually, Gothorita switched her guitar for the piano, and Azumarill began a catchy beat.

"Do what you, what you want, if you have dream for better! Do what you, what you want, till you don't want it anymore! Remember who you really are! Do what you, what you want; your world's closing in on you now...Stand and face the unknown! Every heart in my hand's like a pale reflection! Hello, hello, remember me? I'm everything you can't control~ Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe we can break through!" Gothorita sang in a high soprano, with Cate providing background vocals.

Formora hadn't heard Gothorita sing before; she was surprisingly good. She and the others cheered as the song went on.

Finally, the concert ended. Formora's voice was hoarse from all the cheering and singing along. She, Kia, and Firnen walked through the base and up the tower, chatting about the show as they did.

"That was amazing! We never had anything like that in Sealed Abyss before!" Kia exclaimed.

"That really was something," Firnen agreed.

"They play every Tuesday and Friday. Also, I think there's going to be dodgeball in the gym tomorrow evening. You two should join me," Formora said.

"Oh, definitely," Kia nodded, as did Firnen. "By the way...Um, who was that Espurr? The one playing the guitar?"

"Who, Cate?" Formora replied.

"Cate...I see. Thank you," Kia said thoughtfully. Formora didn't know why he was asking about Cate, but decided not to pursue it.

When they came to the boys' floor, Formora bid them goodnight, and went to bed soon after.

* * *

 **The songs sung are excerpts from So Cold by Breaking Benjamin, and What You Want by Evanescence. All rights to them!**

 **Before, I'd accidentally had Kia use Tackle on the Pumpkaboo. Vibravas can't learn Tackle. Whoopsies! I changed it to a regular attack in here. There are also some small discrepancies, but chalk it up to different perspectives from the battlers. That's my excuse, anyway.**

 **The next post shall include: A leafy gully, furniture shopping, and a deadly legendary.**


	10. Chapter 4 The Legendary of Enragement

**Chapter 4. The Legendary of Enragement**

* * *

Like yesterday, Teysa told Formora when she woke that Lord Giratina would speak to her and her team after breakfast. Formora thanked her and headed on down to eat.

Most of her tablemates were already there by the time she got her food. Firnen was reading the newspaper, while Sonya was once again stitching together a doll. It appeared to be a Litleo.

"Why are you making another one; there's no more room to put eet!" Oksana frowned as she approached the table.

"I'll buy more shelves," Sonya replied absently, expertly putting more thread on her needle. Oksana sighed in exasperation as she sat down.

Furniture...hm.

"I should probably get some for my room," Formora mused. Her entire room was rather bare and boring. It needed some decoration, something to say 'Formora lives here'.

"Where's the closest place to buy furniture?" she asked.

"That'd be in Lucida Town. It's right here on the island, actually. About twenty minutes to right if you're coming down from the mountain. Yvette's Furniture, that's the name of the store. Very wide selection. Very cheap, too, if you tell them you're Dark," Miles told her, chuckling at the end.

"There are actual towns on this island?" Formora exclaimed.

Oksana nodded. "Oh, sure. Two een fact. We have an agreement weeth both of them. They leave us alone, and we leave them alone. For the most part. Lucida Town's the larger of the two. The other one, Krasny Village, ees northeast from here, eef you're coming from the mountain."

"I nehmed Krasny Village. When we first cehme to leeve at the behse, I went there once, just to look around. I could hardly speak thees lehnguage, but the townspeople were very nice to me. They gehve me a giant fruit basket een welcome. I was touched by their kindness. The next deh, I gehve them ull dulls in thehnks. They asked me where I was stehing. I told them I leeved at the Dark behse. Later that deh, I was told that most of the veellagers threw my dulls aweh, because I was Dark! So I went back and took my revenge on everyone who tussed my dulls aweh. Then I renamed the veellage Krasny Village," Sonya explained, looking up from her sewing.

"What does it mean?" Kia inquired.

"Krasny means 'red' een our home language," Oksana explained.

"Why'd you name it 'Red Village'?" Formora asked, raising an eyebrow. Sonya flashed her a cold grin.

"That's what everything was colored by the time I was done weeth eet!" she replied.

"The better question is why did you slaughter most of a village just for throwing away your dolls?" Firnen asked.

"How would _you_ like to be thrown aweh as eef you were nothing?! Tussed eento the trash, left to rut een a dump...Forgutten and abandoned, all alone…" Sonya snapped. She abruptly got up, and stalked out of the cafeteria, taking her current project with her.

"Sonya's senseeteeve about her dolls. Een Rossiya, eet ees said that the first Banette came from an abandoned doll that grew vengeful of eets careless owner. Eef Sonya ever geeves you a doll, don't throw eet away, unless you want to be reepped to shreds," Oksana advised.

Formora thought that was a rather stupid explanation, but she believed the Eelektross.

* * *

After breakfast, once everyone had left, Team Renegade stood in front of the mirror. The glass shimmered for a second, then Giratina's visage appeared.

" **Ah, hello you three. Great work yesterday; I am quite pleased with your success. With Mawile out of the way, we are one step closer to a brighter future. Last night I had Kialandi put a small mirror in your bag. That way you may speak with me whenever you wish. Just say my name, and I will appear. I put four special items in your bag; take them out. I do believe you will enjoy them,** " Giratina said.

Curious, the three opened their bag, and took out a white and blue ribbon, a green scarf with black edges, a swatch of royal blue silk, and a dark green, multifaceted stone.

" **The white ribbon is called a Froslass Bow. It is a special item specifically for Froslasses. When a Froslass is hit by a dark-type move, she will be healed instead of damaged. I think you will find it quite useful, Formora. The green scarf is a Vibra Scarf, and it is exclusive to Vibravas. Kialandi, wearing it will prevent you from being sent to sleep. The other scarf is Royal Silk, and it will significantly increase the attack and special attack of a dragon-type wearer. Finally, the green gem is a Bypass Stone. It will allow you to skip any dungeons you've previously visited. It will take you straight to the end. However, it will not work on the dungeons you've visited already, nor will it take you to a specific floor. But it will work henceforth, now that it is in your possession,"** Giratina explained.

The trio eagerly put on their new items, tying the fabrics around their necks. They returned the Bypass Stone back to the bag.

"Thank you!" Formora beamed.

" **You three deserve it, after your success yesterday. Keep it up. Oh, before I forget. Now that you three are a team, you share a joint bank account. I've placed 10,000 P** **ok** **é** **i** **nto it for you. Use the funds as you will. I have nothing for you to do today, so you may do as you wish. I will see you soon,** " their leader said before his image disappeared, leaving the mirror blank and reflective once more.

"A day off, huh? This'll be a good time to go look for stuff to put in my room," Formora mused, fingering her new Froslass Bow. It felt strange on her neck, but she'd get used to it soon.

"Oh, can we go with you? We haven't seen much of the island, and I'd love to visit Lucida Town," Kia offered. Formora shrugged good-naturedly.

"Sure," she agreed.

They stopped by the bank over in Dungeon Alley. Formora wasn't sure how much money she'd need, so she withdrew all of it. As the trio started to head down the mountain, Formora spotted a giant, Y-shaped Pokemon in the sky, coming towards the base.

"What _is_ that?!" she demanded, pointing at the Pokemon. Were they about to be attacked?! ...No, the air sentries weren't raising the alarm. Then what was happening?

"Oh, that's Lord Yveltal, the legendary of death and destruction. He's Xerneas and Zygarde's brother. He leads the Sealed Abyss base, where we're from. Sometimes he comes over to the main base to transport Shinies to Celestial Spire, where Arceus is imprisoned," Kia said, looking to where she was pointing.

That flying Y was the death legendary…? That seemed...odd.

"How come he does that?" she asked, still staring as the red-and-black Pokemon came closer.

"To see if Arceus reacts to the Shiny, I'm told. You know, to see if the Shiny is the Champion," Firnen replied.

"Ah," Formora said. She watched Yveltal's descent toward the beach, then she continued her descent down the mountain.

"Twenty minutes east, huh? I guess we just follow the path," Formora mused once they'd reached the base.

So, the three headed east, following the dusty dirt path into the heart of the island. They walked past a small forest, and even spotted the entrance to a verdant dungeon. The dungeon wasn't on their to-do list, so they ignored it and continued down the road.

When they reached the end of the woods, a large town greeted their arrival.

The town was situated on a very hilly stretch of land, and the builders had ingeniously built houses and shops _into_ the hills. Small round windows and chimneys poked up from the hills, and crisscrossing paths led from hill to hill. A plethora of colorful flags set in front of the shops decreed the wares within, and a bunch of happy, smiling Pokemon went to and fro on their business.

However, it was quite crowded here in this hill-town, and Formora found herself scrunched up against her teammates as they explored the town. She grimaced, hoping they'd find the furniture shop soon before she was squished into oblivion.

"Excuse me, could you tell us where Yvette's Furniture is?" Kia asked a passing Swirlix as she squeezed past them.

"Yvie's store? It's right behind you!" she beamed before continuing along her way.

The three turned to see a large blue flag alerting them that the hill-store was named Yvette's Furniture. They entered the shop, which was surprisingly well-lit despite being built into a hill. Large windows let in sunlight, and there was a powerful lightbulb in the center of the large shop that illuminated where the sun couldn't reach. Beds, drawers, tables, and a plethora of other things crowded the floor.

At least it wasn't as hot in here as it was outside, Formora grumbled mentally.

A Skitty poked her head up from a desk at the back, and with a happy squeak she raced on over to the trio.

"Hello, and welcome! I'm Yvette. I don't think I've seen you three around before. Are you new here?" she asked pleasantly.

"We've never been to Lucida Town before, no. Our friend here is looking for some things to decorate her rooms with," Kia told her, gesturing grandly to Formora.

"I don't really know what to put in it, though. I have a bed, nightstand, a table, and some couches. That's it," Formora shrugged.

"Hmm...have you thought about a dresser or desk? Some shelves for the living room, a coffee table?" Yvette suggested. "Or even a loveseat for your bedroom?"

Formora considered it. "I could use a desk, probably. And maybe a dresser, although I don't have very many things to put in it." Just her knife. "I guess some shelves and a coffee table—" Whatever that was. "—actually, I guess I'll just take all your suggestions. The shelves are going to be rather bare, though."

"Well, right across the street is a place that sells knickknacks, or you could fill them with books, art, or your favorite movies," Yvette suggested as she led the three over to the dressers.

There were dressers in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Brown, black, tall, short; there was something for everyone.

"I guess. I'll take the white one," Formora pointed to a small white dresser with two large drawers and six small ones.

Yvette took out a notepad and pencil, and wrote something down.

"Great! What else would you like to see?"

Yvette led the three around the shop, and Formora bought a light blue duvet, a glass coffee table (so _that's_ what it was. What did it have to do with coffee, though?), a large desk, and a few shelves for her living room.

The total came to be 5,846 Poké. Formora handed over the money, wincing that they'd just lost over half of their funds. Oh well, they could always get more somehow.

"And where should I send the delivery men?" Yvette smiled.

"The Dark base, on top of the mountain," Formora replied without thinking.

Instantly, Yvette's face went completely white, and she took a few steps back from them.

"The...Dark base?" she whispered in horror. "I...see. I do apologize, I-I had no idea you three were….Um, anyway. Um, y-your purchases will be d-delivered within a few days. If that's alright."

Formora shrugged. "Fine with me. Thanks for your help."

"It's my pleasure…" Yvette said hollowly without conviction as the trio left the store.

They wandered into the knickknacks shop Yvette had told them about. After browsing the store for a bit, Formora bought a glass snowflake, as well as a painting of a wintery dungeon called Frigid Tundra. The painting depicted many glaciers surrounded by a thick snowstorm. She wasn't sure why she was drawn to these things; perhaps it was a side-effect of being a Froslass.

When they returned to the base, Miles flagged them down.

"Team Renegade!" he shouted, his eyes bright with excitement. "Oksana just told me she knows where the Light's Chosen is right now!"

"Whaaaaat?!" the three gasped at the same time.

Miles nodded vigorously. "One of her tenants told her. The Champion is in a dungeon called Leafy Gully. I know where that is; it's over near the center of the mainland."

Kia took out their map and spread it out. Miles pointed to a forest next to a small mountain range on the eastern side of the center of the mainland.

"Leafy Gully is right there. It's a short and easy dungeon; full of bug- and grass-types. No problem for you three," he directed. Formora stood of straighter, feeling adrenaline course through her.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" she said impatiently.

Before they left, they stopped by Dungeon Alley once more. They dropped off their remaining funds, and took out two apples, two Oran Berries, and two Blast Seeds. Then they were off.

Kia towed them across the channel like he normally did, and they sprinted to their destination.

* * *

 **Leafy Gully (** **watch?v=Olzv7Js_hyk** **)**

By the time they reached the dungeon it was mid-afternoon. The dungeon entrance lay right next to the beginning of the tiny mountain range, and in the distance Formora could see a tall tower that stretched high into the sky.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to it. Kia and Firnen looked.

"Celestial Spire; home and prison of Arceus. It marks the exact center of the mainland," Firnen reported.

Formora raised her eyebrows, staring hard at the structure. So that was where Arceus was being held, huh? She was sorely tempted to march straight on up there and give It a piece of her mind, but she reluctantly turned herself back to the task on hand.

With one last look at the Spire, she entered the dungeon.

 **B1F**

A light breeze was drifting slowly through the dungeon, bringing with it the smell of nature. The floor was covered in lush grass, and there wasn't a speck of dirt to be seen. Small ferns and bright yellow flowers grew alongside the rocky walls, which were layered like a cake. Small puddles of water lay along the edges as well.

The best part, however, was that the stairs were in this room with them as well. Eagerly, they set forward, hoping to catch their prey unaware.

 **B2F**

Here in this small chamber, there was only an immobile Metapod to be seen. Formora thought about beating it to a pulp, but decided against it. Time was of the essence; she had to get to the end before the Champion of Light left.

So, the trio ignored the Metapod's Hardening and headed down the southern path out of the room. The path led to a larger chamber with a Pecha Berry and 65 Poké. Firnen picked up the fallen items as Formora chose to head down the western path.

This caused her to run into an Oddish, who began emitting a sickly Sweet Scent. The smell was enticing, actually, causing her to relax and sniff the breeze for a moment. Then she remembered herself and sent the Oddish sprawling down the hallway with her Ice Beam. She was on it before it had a chance to get up, and one quick Powder Snow sent it into oblivion.

"Dungeon etiquette is to let the enemies at least get back up before you obliterate them," Kia observed innocently. Formora crossed her arms as she continued down the hall, not looking back.

"I don't have time for rules," she said as she came to a sharp 90-degree turn, back towards their starting chamber.

She scowled when they arrived in the next room. The room they were currently in connected to their starting room.

The stairs were in this room.

 **B3F**

The chamber they arrived at held nothing but a path leading east. Upon walking down it, they ran into a Deerling and Pineco. The Deerling dashed forward, striking Formora squarely in the gut twice. Formora grunted, but the blows didn't do that much to her. Double Kick was a fighting-type move; it had little effect on a ghost-type like her.

"Nice try," she growled as she sent it crashing into the Pineco behind it with Ice Beam.

"Duck!" she heard Firnen warn behind her.

She did, laying flat on the cool, moist ground. Above, an indigo beam of energy shot past her and onto the stunned Deerling. It let out a pained cry, going limp as the Pineco underneath it tried to wriggle free.

Formora blasted both of them with Powder Snow, an emotionless expression on her face. The Deerling disappeared with a moan, while the Pineco's body began turning white.

"Get away from there!" Kia shouted urgently.

"Why?" Formora asked, right before the Pineco blew itself up.

A powerful explosion came from the Pineco, the force of the blast throwing Formora and her teammates far back. The trio lay in a pained, stunned heap for a few minutes, until finally they stood.

Formora hadn't been hurt too bad from the blow, despite being right next to it when it occurred. It had mostly overwhelmed her than anything else. Kia and Firnen didn't seem badly injured either. They had a few scrapes and bruises, but that might have been from the rough landing.

"Ah...Self-destruct is not an enjoyable attack," Kia said as they cautiously made their way back down the hall. The Pineco was nowhere to be seen. Only a black scorch mark remained.

"Yeah," Formora agreed as she moved past the mark.

The room they arrived in held nothing, so they moved onwards, traveling north. The next chamber they encountered held the stairs and a Metapod.

Formora ignored the stationary foe as she hurried over to the stairs.

 **B4F**

There was a Heal Seed in the room they started in. They only had enough room for one more item, and they debated on whether or not to take it. Kia said that the only foe who could inflict status effects was Oddish, and the ones they had encountered so far had shown no signs of knowing Poison Powder, Stun Spore, or Sleep Powder.

So, they decided to leave it, and headed west, where they luckily found the stairs.

 **B5F**

"How will we handle the fight between the Light's Chosen?" Kia asked as Formora led her teammates down an eastern path.

Formora thought for a few moments before answering. "They couldn't have had much time to get used to being a Pokemon, and learning dungeon rules. It certainly took me a while to get used to everything, so the Champion has to be feeling the same way. We should have an advantage there. Also, there's three of us and only one of them. They're significantly outnumbered, and we are _not_ pushovers. The plan is simply to pummel them until they fall. It shouldn't take too long."

She ended the sentence just as an Oddish was approaching. Eyeing it gleefully, she waited until it had paused to attack before launching a quick burst of Powder Snow. The Oddish fell right on its rear, and Formora wasted no time in defeating it with Ice Beam.

She dusted herself off before continuing her trek. "As I was saying. After we defeat them, we take them back to the base. I guess we should have Oksana question them for any information before we kill them."

"Didn't Miles say that you two were destined to fight for the fate of the world, though?" Firnen questioned as they came to a large room. There was a Reviver Seed lying near Formora. She ignored it. She didn't like Reviver Seeds. They were too...cheaty.

She was, however, amused by Firnen's question. "I guess our time has come, then!" she giggled as she headed down the hallway opposite from where they entered.

There was no way the Light's Chosen could have the strength and willpower to kill. She, however, possessed those traits. Probably. Hopefully.

She pushed those annoying intrusions from her mind. Of course she'd win; she would never let herself lose.

The next room they found held a Metapod over by the only other exit. They'd have to fight this one, then.

Well. That was just fine.

The trio crowded around the wary foe, who was quite busy upping its defense by Hardening its slender green body. With a laugh, Formora thrust her hands in front of her, blasting the bug-type with a flurry of chilly, Powdery Snow. The Metapod squeezed its eyes shut in pain as it was knocked flat on its back.

Kia was quick to entrap it in a coarse, rough Sand Tomb that whipped at its small body. Firnen landed the finishing blows by striking it with his Dragon Rage, as Dual Chop and Assurance would be ineffective against the Hardened Metapod.

After it was dealt with, they moved on to the next room, which miraculously held the stairs.

 **B6F**

There was a Deerling in their starting chamber. It Growled loudly, endearing it somewhat to the trio, who became slightly reluctant to attack the adorable thing.

Kia Feinted to the left, then abruptly switched directions and Attacked it from the right. He held back, though. The attack had made the Deerling fall, but it easily got back to its feet.

Formora was not as easily weakened. Even though a part of her was telling her to go easy, she stuck out her right hand, and formed a transparent blue ball. From out of the ball came her Ice Beam, shooting across the room and onto the Deerling. Firnen reluctantly finished it off with a half-hearted Assurance. He rapped it smartly on the head as it recovered from Formora's attack.

They headed down the northern hallway, coming to a tiny chamber with a Wonder Tile. Stepping on the tile caused them to regain their focus, ridding them of Growl's effects.

The next room they came across to the left held 101 Poké. Firnen picked it up, and they headed southwest, following a zigzagging hallway until they abruptly came face-to-face with an Oddish. The tiny Pokemon spat boiling, sticky purple Acid all over Formora.

She made a disgusted sound as the goo dripped down her front. Angry now, she punched the Oddish square in the face. It fell backwards, a small indent in its face from where her fist collided. Without getting up it tried to drain her energy with Absorb. A green aura surrounded its body, and a transparent green beam shot from the leaves atop its head and at her. She evaded the attack, countering with Powder Snow.

The Oddish wasn't dissuaded, and spat more Acid at Formora. She ducked underneath the attack, ignoring Firnen's startled squeak as the Acid washed over him. From the ground, Formora threw her Ice Beam at the Oddish. It was unable to evade, and with a cry it disappeared.

The hallway led them to the room with the stairs.

 **B7F**

The stairs were with them, but so was a Pineco. Upon seeing them, it hopped over, probably intending to use Self-destruct.

Kia knocked it away from them with Bulldoze as it got closer to them. He leaped high into the air, then landed _hard_ on the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that sne the foe flying. Firnen dashed forward, striking it with his regular attack.

Remarkably, it hadn't fainted. With a cry that was somewhere in between a laugh and a shout, Formora ran over to it before ramming it with her Astonish.

 _Now_ the blue-green foe fainted. Formora grinned tiredly, wiping off some sweat. Hopefully they'd reach the end of this place soon; she was beginning to tire.

 **Leafy Ravine**

Her wish came true. They'd reached the end of the dungeon. The gully led to a sharp ravine. They'd reached the highlands surrounding the nearby small mountain range The ravine led to a steep hill that was almost 90-degrees. From this view, they could see the land below. There was a large river directly below, leading into a thick, impenetrable forest. The sky was a pastel blue, and a light breeze wafted through the ravine.

Formora did not care about the scenery, though. She was busy searching the area for her ultimate enemy. Her ultimate enemy was nowhere to be seen. The trio were completely alone. She scanned the sky, in case the Champion could fly. No such luck; the sky was free of flying Pokemon. She scowled. Just where _was_ the Light's Chosen?!

She heard a noise coming from the other side of the slope. She peeked over the edge, and saw a Heracross climbing the hill, heading their way. Perhaps it might know where her quarry was hiding. She waited patiently until the Heracross reached them.

"Where is the Champion of Light?" Formora asked at once. The Heracross blinked in confusion as he took in the menacing trio.

"Who?" he asked. Firnen ran over to him, smacking him with Assurance.

"Where is the Light's Champion? We know they're here, so tell us!" he hissed.

"I-I don't know who you're talking about! Really, I don't" the Heracross exclaimed, holding up his hands in front of his face as Firnen prepared to attack again. Something wasn't right about this whole situation.

"Wait," Formora waved her hand, and Firnen paused. "He's telling the truth."

She turned to the frightened Pokemon. "Did any Shiny Pokemon come through this way?"

"N-no, I haven't seen any. Truly, I haven't!" he whimpered. Formora sighed angrily as she turned to her teammates.

"He's not lying. It was a fake tip," she reported grimly. Firnen and Kia groaned.

"Seriously?" Firnen whined.

"And here I had thought we would find them," Kia sighed.

"Let's head back. Miles and Oksana should know that the tip was false," Formora said irritably as she began to exit the area.

"What about him?" Kia asked, and Formora knew he was talking about the Heracross.

"Leave him," she said over her shoulder, not looking back.

* * *

There was a hidden entrance to the dungeon on the beach in front of the mountain. It lay about a third up the mountain, and the path leading to it was perfectly steady, although to the unknowing eye it looked like it was about to collapse any second.

The trio pushed open the secret door, and when a guard came to investigate they told him that they needed to see Oksana. The guard, a burly Machoke, told them she was currently in a meeting three floors up, but would alert her that she had visitors. He led them past rows of cells, some containing Shinies, some containing ordinary Pokemon. Detective Mawile was nowhere to be seen. Machoke took the trio to the stairs, and up they climbed until they'd reached the top floor, which held the interrogation rooms. He ushered them into a small, bare chamber, and left.

There they waited for a solid twenty minutes before Oksana came in, panting and spattered in blood.

"Deed you find the Champion?" she asked eagerly, her eyes shining.

"No. The tip you got was false. There was no one there but a Heracross, and he told us that no Shinies had been around a while, and I believe him," Formora reported, crossing her arms.

Oksana's eyes widened, and she went rigid. Then a hard, cold gleam flashed across her eyes, and she began trembling, ever so slightly.

"What?" she growled.

"It's true," Kia nodded sadly. Oksana stood there for a moment, then stalked out of the room.

"Follow me," she snapped.

Exchanging a glance with one another, the curious three followed Oksana as she went two floors down.

"Get me a knife. My bonecutter," she barked at a Wartortle guard. He hastened to obey, not wanting to face Oksana's anger.

There were four floors to the dungeon. The fourth one was where the trio had entered from, and the third was where they now were. As with the fourth floor, this floor contained many cells, most of them filled with Pokemon. Formora peeked inside one, and flashed the occupant a vicious grin.

There was Mawile, lying huddled in a corner.

She triumphantly walked past him as Oksana stopped in front of a cell. Wartortle returned, handing Oksana a large, long, and _very_ serrated knife. It was more like a miniature saw than a knife, actually. He opened the cell door, and Oksana stalked inside, hauling a terrified Helioptile out. She threw the weeping captive against the opposite wall, where he clashed with a clang against the opposite cell door's bars. He slid to ground in a frightened heap.

"All of you, front and center. _**NOW**_!" Oksana raged. A few prisoners peeked warily out of their cell doors.

"I SAID _ULL_ OF YOU!" Oksana screamed. A few more heads become visible.

Oksana took the Helioptile by the head and slammed him against the stone partitioning between cells. She held him by his neck, his legs dangling uselessly in the air.

"You lied to me. You told me you knew where the Champion of Light was. Well, _YOU WERE WRUNG_!" she spat at the unfortunate Pokemon, who was trying unsuccessfully to pry Oksana's fingers off of his neck. He choked and gagged, unable to respond.

Oksana let him suffer for a few more moments, then released him without warning.

"*cough* Th-they must've left before *cough* you arrived!" he wheezed pitifully, holding his neck and gazing up in terror at the furious warden.

Formora barely had time to blink before the knife Oksana carried was thrown at the captive. It went straight through his left arm, pinning him against the wall. The Helioptile screeched in pain, and his shaking right arm scrabbled at the knife tethering him as he tried and failed to contain his suffering.

"Wrong again. My associates here were told that no Shinies had come by," Oksana growled staring down at the captive, who'd managed to grasp the knife handle. With a pained grunt, he wrenched the knife out of his arm, cradling the bleeding limb with his other arm.

"Whoever….told them that…..was lying…" he said in between agonized gasps. He pressed hard on his wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

"No," Oksana said calmly, so calmly that even Formora was unnerved. "They weren't."

She beckoned to Kia and Firnen, telling them to hold Helioptile far between them. Rather than risk her ire, having now seen what she was capable of, the two obliged. They held Helioptile by his arms, putting ample space between the three. Oksana turned to the rest of her thoroughly-horrified prisoners.

"Eet seems some of you have forgotten your place. Well, let me remind you….YOU ULL ARE _NOTHING_ TO ME. ULL OF YOU LEEVE BECAUSE I ALLOW EET. At any time I can deespose of you, and I weell sleep like a behby afterwards. When I ask you a question, _I expect hunesty._ You ull know what I can and _weell_ do to you eef I am deespleased. Eet's much, _much_ better for both of us eef you tell me what I wunt to know," Oksana hissed, staring at each and every prisoner. Her accent was especially prominent when she was angry, Formora noticed. It made her sound more like her sister.

The Eelektross gestured to Helioptile as she picked up the bloody knife. "Thees one thought he could lie to me and get away weeth eet. Well, _THEES EES WHAT HAPPENS TO LIARS!_ "

With a shout, she thrust the knife deep into Helioptile's neck, blood gushing from the new wound like a waterfall. Blood spattered across Oksana's face. The blade went clean through his neck, and with a choked cry he began struggling as he coughed up blood, the red liquid trickling out of his mouth. Oksana wrenched her arm to the right, freeing her knife and taking most of his neck with it. Firnen and Kia released him, and he fell to the floor, writhing uncontrollably as he choked on his own blood. He gasped and sputtered, trying so desperately to breathe.

But he couldn't.

Formora watched in fascination as Helioptile's struggles ceased, until eventually they stopped all together. He gave one last pitiful gurgle before he went still. She saw the spark of life leave his eyes as he stared unseeing at the ceiling, his body going limp.

Oksana wiped the blood off her face, her expression neutral.

"Weell anyone lie to me een the future?" she asked in a light voice. Not a peep came from anyone. It was so quiet Formora could hear her own heartbeat pounding wildly against her chest.

"...Good. Clean thees up," Oksana said after a moment, gesturing at the tiny body below her. Now that it ceased to have life within, it looked so small and fragile, like the slightest touch would turn it to dust.

She led Team Renegade back up the stairs, into the main building of the compound.

"I need to go clean up. I do so apologize that your day was wasted. I promise eet weell _not_ happen again," she apologized, bowing slightly.

The trio only nodded, stunned by what they had just witnessed. Oksana nodded in return, then headed back down into her dungeon.

"That was...certainly something," Kia said slowly.

"Yeah...I mean, I'd heard the stories about her, but actually seeing them happen with my own eyes…" Firnen agreed.

"Did you see how the light died in his eyes when he did? That was neat," Formora observed, still replaying that scene over and over in her head. She'd never seen anyone die before. It was...fascinating.

"I suppose so. I did like his agonized moans. Simply beautiful," Kia agreed.

"She took out like, half his neck with just one motion. I'll admit, I was impressed," Firnen chimed in.

The trio agreed that while what they'd just seen had been overwhelming at first, they had to admit that it was also pretty cool. They went to dinner, telling their tablemates about the false tip. Everyone at the table was crushed, but they told Team Renegade that the enemy would be found soon. They'd just have to keep looking, and the Champion couldn't hide forever. Sooner or later, the enemy would make a mistake. When he or she did, the Dark would swoop in like a Pidgeot.

* * *

After dinner, the trio and many of their tablemates walked over to the gym, eager for some dodgeball. Kia kept looking around the room, as if he was looking for someone.

"Who are you looking for?" Formora asked him.

"Hm? Oh...no one," he replied, sounding somewhat disappointed.

Once everyone who wanted to play had arrived, Manectric the referee stepped up.

"Hello everyone! Wow, what a turnout! Glad so many Pokemon could come. Ready to play?" he greeted. A hearty cheer went up from the large crowd.

"Excellent! Tonight's team captains have been chosen, and they are...Gabite and Kialandi!" Manectric announced. Kia and Gabite stepped forward, and they tossed a coin to determine who would start choosing players. Gabite won.

"Chandra," Gabite began.

"Formora," Kia selected.

The two continued choosing players for their teams, until eventually no one was left. It was Gabite, Chandra, Tohoku, Sliggoo, Duosion, Sorin, Azumarill, Kiora, Oksana, Westley, Binacle, Axel, Fiona, Vesuvius, Sumatra, Altaria, Flora, and Leafeon versus Kia, Formora, Firnen, Jace, Ashi, Jes, Charmeleon, Tranquil, Spiritomb, Chlorr, Clariel, Houndour, Katrina, Totodile, Bonsly, Spritzee, Carbink, Cradily, and Sonya.

The teams stood against the back walls, staring hard at the colorful rubber balls lined up in the center of the gym.

"Let's do our best, team," Kia said to his side.

"We will truly subjugate the other team," Bonsly agreed. Formora had no idea what 'subjugate' meant, but it probably meant something along the lines of 'beat the ever-loving hell out of them'. She could get behind that.

Manectric blew his whistle, and Formora sprinted to the center, snatching up a bright green ball and chucking it straight into Duosion's abdomen. He let out a loud wheeze as the breath was knocked out of him. Manectric blew his whistle, signaling for Duosion to leave the field.

Formora chuckled, and twirled out of the way of a shot from Jace. She hadn't missed the Alakazam turning to throw his ball at her.

The two sides continued for a few more intense minutes, each picking up, dodging, and getting hit by balls. Formora was tagged on the arm halfway through the game by Binacle. She glared at him as Manectric gestured for her to leave the field.

She sat down against the left wall with the other losers, vowing that she wouldn't be hit next time. She stifled a groan as Flora, who'd been among the first few Pokemon to get hit, went over to sit by her.

"Good luck next time!" the Floette sympathized.

"You too," Formora nodded curtly.

"You see Sliggoo over there? I swear he likes me. Like, last week he held the door open for me as I was leaving the pool! He must have noticed how hard I work out. Why else would he be so nice?" Flora chatted, pointing to the purple dragon-type, who was still in the game.

Formora opened her mouth to insult her, but paused. An idea was forming in her mind. Smiling slyly, she nodded vigorously.

"You're right. You do work pretty hard. He'd have to be blind not to see it!" she agreed. A wide smile bloomed on Flora's face.

"Right? I kind of like him too. Don't tell him I said that! Oh, what should I do, Formora? Should I ask him out?"

Formora pretended to think.

"No, no. We need more information first. We need to know how deep his feelings for you go. Pay attention to where he is. If he spends a lot of time in the same room as you, then obviously he's deeply in love! He can't help but _not_ be near you!" Formora encouraged.

"Great idea! I'll do that. Oh, _thank you_ , Formy!" Flora beamed, hugging Formora.

It took a _lot_ of willpower not to push Flora away, and Formora stiffly patted Flora's back.

The dodgeball game ended eventually, with Kia's team victorious. Formora hardly cared about the game anymore; she was more excited about what she was planning on doing to the annoying Flora.

She left the gym alone as the others were celebrating, heading up to her room. She treated herself with a nice long bath, then she was off to bed, eager to continue her plan tomorrow.

* * *

 **If violence is something you can't stomach, I'd recommend ceasing to read the story. Trust me, it is** _ **not**_ **going to get better from here. Just thought I'd warn ya ahead of time.**

 **The next post shall include: wall-traveling, a very important mission, and the home of an enemy.**


	11. Chapter 11

_She's huddled in the corner of the living room, shielding her face with her hands as she weeps silently. Trapping her are her parents, who are yelling things she doesn't fully understand at her._

" _I wish you'd never been born!" Mommy screams at her._

" _I hate you. You're useless, and you're better off dead._ We're _better off if you didn't exist," Daddy growls._

" _You're a waste of life, and an even bigger drain of money! Look around! Do you think we can afford you?!" Mommy snaps, grabbing Formora's head and forcing her to look around at their tiny, cramped house._

 _She stares uncomprehendingly at the only sight she's ever known. The entire house is streaked in filth, and the window above the broken kitchen sink has a large crack. The only furniture in the living room are four decaying pillows. The fridge in the kitchen doesn't work, and doesn't have a single thing inside of it anyway. For a table, all they have is a large wooden box with an ancient, fraying sheet as a tablecloth. The cupboards are bare, and there is a leak by the front door._

 _She's never been outside before. She does not know that she lived in poverty, does not know that most people do not live like this._

" _This is because of_ you _!" Mommy yells, shoving Formora back into the corner as she gestures around the room. "We wouldn't be living like this if you hadn't been born!"_

 _Mommy walks away, stomping into her and Daddy's room._

" _You cost us way too much money. Money that we don't have. Why do you cost so much?! How can one worthless girl cause us so much pain?!" Daddy rages. A sob escapes Formora's mouth._

 _Mommy returns from her room, and thrusts an old piece of paper into Formora's face._

" _You see this?" Mommy hisses. Formora stares uncertainly at the strange scribbles on the paper as tears streak down her face. "This is how much it cost us to keep you alive when you were born! If I'd have known beforehand that you weren't worth all this debt, then I would have just let you die!"_

 _After that, Mommy begins crying, and she heads back into her and Daddy's room, slamming the door. The door shudders, and the top hinge falls loose._

 _Daddy starts to follow Mommy, but stops and looks back at Formora._

" _You will never deserve the right to live," he says coldly before going to comfort Mommy._

 _Formora sinks down to the floor, crying quietly and wondering what she did to make her parents hate her so much._

 _Later, after a meager dinner of a slice of bread, Mommy sighs and looks over at Formora, saying dully, "I wish I had aborted you."_

 _Daddy nods sadly._

* * *

Formora woke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Disoriented, she gazed around the room, wondering where she was. Then everything came back to her, and she held a hand to her forehead, sighing.

She looked out the window, and saw the beginnings of sunlight streak through her room. She laid back in bed, but didn't go back to sleep. She wouldn't be able to, not after that.

It had been a long time since she last dreamed of her childhood. They'd finally gone away around the time she turned seventeen. Why, then, had they returned?

She remembered that day as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. She had only been three.

That day hadn't been the worst of her life at home, but it was the earliest memory she could recall. Ever since, she'd known nothing but hatred and verbal abuse.

Until she had run away.

Enough of this, she thought angrily, forcing the musings from her head. She didn't want to relive the past, and cast about for something to occupy her mind. It was too early to go down to breakfast, and there wasn't anything for her to do in her room.

She got up, and walked out the door. Teysa greeted her, and Formora nodded politely before heading down the tower and into the training room.

Only Gideon was there at this hour. He nodded ever so slightly at her, and she acknowledged his presence before setting up a large black punching bag in the corner.

Once it was set up, she set about striking it with a few quick jabs before ducking then giving the heavy bag a vicious uppercut.

As she pummeled the punching bag, she felt her misgivings melt away as a content smile came upon her face. She allowed herself to become immersed in her attacks, focusing only on the black bag in front of her.

When she eventually tired, she was breathing hard and drenched in sweat. She picked up a towel from a rack and wiped herself off. It then occurred to her that she was ravenous. Her workout had given her quite the appetite.

Smiling and humming to herself, she left the training room and leisurely went down to breakfast.

Kia and Firnen both raised their hands in greeting when she got her food and approached their table. Miles was quivering in his seat to her right, unable to keep still.

"What's got you like this?" she asked him after his trembling in her peripheral vision began to annoy her.

Miles grinned. "I can't tell you just yet. You, Kialandi, and Firnen need to come by Intel after breakfast."

* * *

When the time came, they met Miles inside the Intel base. He led them to a back room, which held nothing but a large meeting room, a whiteboard, and a mirror.

Team Leviathan were seated at the table, and Lord Giratina's visage was in the mirror.

" **Ah, welcome Team Renegade. Please, sit,"** he invited.

They did so, wondering what was going on. Miles was bouncing on his feet, his fur raised with excitement.

" **Miles, you had better tell them the good news before you burst,"** Giratina said, an amused glint in his eyes.

"We know where Cresselia and Xerneas' homes are!" the Absol shouted. "Team Leviathan found out! Tell them!"

Formora and her teammates turned to the four.

"We were doing some work in Firewood City," Westley, the Greninja leader, began.

"Sabotage, espionage; little things, you know," Jes, a Blastoise, continued.

"We were relaxing in an openly pro-Light bar, where we overheard a Hawlucha tell the bartender that Xerneas and Cresselia's homes were still safe. When said Hawlucha left the bar, we followed him," Fiona, a Milotic, said lazily.

"We cornered him and 'convinced' him to tell us the dungeons' locations. Right now he's chilling in our dungeon with Oksana," Axel, a Whiscash, finished.

Team Renegade sat there, stunned. The homes of the two leaders of the Light, ready to be ransacked...Formora's hands began to quiver, eager to tear apart the Pokemon who wished to stop the Dark cause.

"That's all well and good, but how do we know Cresselia and Xerneas will actually _be_ there?" Firnen frowned.

"According to Hawlucha, they return home frequently. There's a good chance you'll find at least one of them," Jes told them.

Miles spread out a large map of the continent across the pristine white table. He pointed to a forest that was set inside the mountain range Team Renegade traveled by yesterday.

"That's Verdant Ravine, the home of Xerneas. The only entrance is through the mountains, unfortunately. According to Team L, the dungeon is weak, and not too long. Over here," he moved to a large forest on the northwestern side of the mainland. "Is Full Moon Forest, Cresselia's dungeon. Hers is slightly longer and slightly more difficult, but it shouldn't be anything you three can't handle."

"Us three?" Formora echoed.

" **Your job is to apprehend them both. Be warned, though. Cresselia and Xerneas are powerful Pokemon. Both are legendaries, and will not hesitate to take you down. Do** _ **not**_ **underestimate them,"** Giratina warned.

"Especially Xerneas. We've run into him before," Fiona grumbled.

At Formora's questioning glance, she continued, "He acts like a complete moron in order to make you relax, to lower your guard. Then he hits you in the face with Moonblast, and he skips merrily into the night, laughing like he just heard the best joke ever while you're left there bleeding and wondering just what the hell happened."

" **Yes, Xerneas' battle strategy is...unique. You'll probably have a harder time with him than Cresselia, now that I think about it,** " Giratina agreed.

"Then let's go after him first, so we can take down the bigger threat," Formora said, standing up. She was ready for this. A _real_ challenge.

" **Very well. Prepare your belongings, then set off immediately,** " Giratina nodded before disappearing, turning the mirror back to normal.

Team Renegade left Intel and hurried down to Dungeon Alley on the first floor, eager to get started on their mission. First they stopped by Purugly's bank and deposited their money from yesterday. Dour Purugly was only too glad when they left her stall for Lombre, who sold food and seeds. His wares today weren't interesting to them, so they left him and walked out of the base.

* * *

The trio traveled across the channel, then began the same path they took to get to Leafy Gully. However, this time they had to travel _through_ the mountains, not _around_ them.

The only path leading into the mountains was worn and had almost been destroyed by the passage of time. Most of it had been eroded away, by wind, water, and rockslides, leaving large gaps in between sections. There was also no rail, meaning that the trio had to carefully hug the walls. At one point, the ground underneath Firnen crumbled away, causing him to begin plummeting down the rocky slope.

Kia instantly dove down and caught him. The Vibrava managed to haul Firnen back onto solid (?) ground, much to Formora's relief.

"Agh...don't do that again…" Kia wheezed, flopping down on the ground.

"I'll try," Firnen said in an odd voice. There was a haunted look in his eyes, from his near-death experience no doubt.

Slightly daunted, the trio pressed onwards.

Traversing through the mountains took them the rest of the day, and eventually the remnants of the path led back down to a brief patch of solid ground that was covered in dandelions and tiny shrubs. All three of them were exhausted, and they decided to camp in the field so that they don't accidentally break their necks while stumbling around in the dark.

They only had an apple and a couple berries on them, and there wasn't any other food to be found in the field.

Well, that's what the boys said, anyway.

Once they had a fire going, they found a few sticks from the bushes and roasted their berries. Formora surprised Kia and Firnen by eating the greens of the dandelions around her.

"What are you doing?" Kia demanded horrified as she munched on her flowers. She looked at him.

"Eating. Dandelions are edible, you know. Full of vitamins," she said through a mouthful of stems.

Kia and Firnen shared a wary glance with each other, then they cautiously picked a couple of dandelions and took a bite out of the stems and leaves. Formora was greatly amused by their disgusted faces.

"They taste better cooked," she told them nonchalantly as she stuck a few flowers on a stick and set them in the fire.

"Ugh! You have all the dandelions you want; I'd rather go hungry!" Firnen grimaced as he spat out a leaf. Kia agreed.

Formora shrugged. "Suit yourself." she said as she took a huge bite out of the roasted flower.

* * *

They woke early the next day, and silently resumed their trek down the perilous path. As they climbed the mountains once more, Formora spotted Celestial Spire in the distance. She stared at the tower for a moment. She decided that she'd climb it soon, and give Arceus a piece of her mind.

 **Verdant Ravine ( watch?v=mHgw1CJGi9w)**

They eventually reached the entrance to the dungeon around midday. Thankfully, they were towards the end of the mountains and the beginnings of the highlands loomed across the horizon. The dungeon entrance was set inside a deep leafy ravine that was shaded from the sun by a plethora of trees. Small flowers grew alongside the entrance, and to Formora's shock some were growing abnormally fast right before her eyes!

From out of the ground a stem would sprout, growing rapidly as it sprouted a bud before it bloomed gracefully. All of this took less than ten seconds.

"What kind of sorcery is this?!" she hissed. Normal flowers did _not_ grow in ten seconds.

"If I had to guess, it's a side-effect of Xerneas' continued presence here. He's the legendary of life, after all. It makes sense that life flourishes in his dungeon," Kia speculated.

Formora turned to entrance, still a bit freaked out by the weird flowers.

"Let's just go," she said as she stepped inside.

 **1F**

Life. That was the very first thought that came to her head. All kinds of plants were growing in this abundant place. She couldn't see the ground; rather, she had to wade through a thick ocean of bushes, shrubs, and ferns. The walls were made of moss, and when Formora scraped some off she saw that there was rock underneath. On top of the moss walls were multiple trees, shading the dungeon from the sky above.

And, above all else, flowers were growing abnormally fast _everywhere_.

She hated it all instantly.

"Come on," she growled as she stalked down the only path in the room, which led south.

The only consolation was that she immediately found the stairs. They were covered in moss.

 **2F**

They weren't as lucky in this room. There were five different directions to choose from, with two heading in the eastern direction. Formora chose to go down the west path.

Her decision led to the encounter of a Flabébé with a red flower. Kia and Firnen made disdainful noises behind her.

"Dragon-type moves have no effect on fairies," Kia explained when Formora threw a quick inquisitive glance behind her.

Ah. No matter; she could take one one tiny little Flabébé.

The Flabébé began by emitting a loud cry towards the sky. An ethereal pink outline appeared around its body a second later.

Formora did not care much for its Lucky Chant, and she responded by shooting a quick flurry of Powder Snow at the tiny little Pokemon. It squeaked, squeezing its eyes shut and holding desperately onto its flower as it was blown down the hall.

Formora chased after it, and with a gleeful cry she rammed into it, Astonishing it straight to the ground. The Flabébé hurtled through a fern, and it landed somewhat-gently among the brush. It was stunned, and Formora picked it up in her left hand and formed an Ice Beam in her right. The Flabébé knew where this was heading and began preparing for an attack, but Formora blasted it before it could free itself.

It disappeared instantly.

She chuckled to herself when she entered the next room.

The stairs were waiting for her, like a victory prize.

 **3F**

The moss-covered stairs were in this room with them, along with 54 Poke, which was lying on top of a bush. Firnen picked it up, and they ascended to the next floor.

 **4F**

 **Weather Condition: Rainy**

When she appeared on this floor, she was startled to find that it was raining. She looked up at the sky, and sure enough, rainclouds were unloading their burden onto the ground below.

"I didn't know it could rain inside dungeons," she remarked as a large raindrop splashed on her forehead.

"Yup. Only in dungeons that have stairs going up, though. The weather also have special effects; with rain, all water-type moves are strengthened, and all fire-type moves are weakened," Kia explained.

"I see. Are there any other types of weather conditions?" Formora asked.

"Oh sure," the Vibrava nodded.

As they traveled through the floor, wading through the plants on the floor, Kia taught Formora the different types of weather and their effects. The lesson was paused twice, once to defeat a Petilil and the second time to vanquish a pair of Flabébé. Kia had to eat an Oran Berry after getting slapped around by a rogue Fairy Wind.

He got done with his explanation right as they found the room with the stairs. Unfortunately, they were being guarded by a Leafeon.

The Leafeon gave them a warning bark as its fur stood on end. Formora and Firnen were not dissuaded, and they both Leered ominously at it. The plant-like foe faltered for a split second, and Kia took the opportunity to send out a quick Sonic Boom at it.

The Leafeon bowled over, rolling right into a bush. It scowled at them, and after it picked itself up at sent Razor-sharp Leaves right at him.

Firnen jumped high into the air, knocking them away from his teammate with Dual Chop. On the ground, Formora summoned an Ice Beam, and threw it at her foe.

The Leafeon stumbled, but didn't fall. Growling, it sped right for them, dashing Quickly and Attacking Firnen.

"Wah!" he wailed as he was knocked backwards.

Formora and Kia were quick to avenge him with a simultaneous Powder Snow and Sonic Boom. Formora walked over to Firnen and helped him up. Then, they headed for the stairs.

 **5F**

A Bulbasaur was with them in their starting chamber. The small Pokemon opened up its bud and emitted a large purple cloud of poisonous spores. They fell all over Formora, and as she inhaled them she felt her stomach start tying itself in knots.

She doubled over, suddenly feeling woozy. She'd been poisoned.

Scowling, she looked up at the perpetrator, who was being attacked by Kia and Firnen. It tried to strike Kia with its vines, but the airborne Vibrava expertly flew out of the way. He landed solidly on the ground, Bulldozing the Bulbasaur with the shockwave from the attack. The grass/poison-type was sent rolling across the land, until it came to a stop by Firnen's feet.

Firnen picked up the Bulbasaur, tossed it into the air, and spiked it like a volleyball with his Assurance.

Despite her illness, Formora raised a trembling hand and shot the Bulbasaur with Ice Beam. Then her hand went limp, her energy gone. Beside her, a flower sprouted and bloomed in mere seconds.

"Formora! Have this," she heard Kia say next to her. She managed to turn her head, and saw that he was holding a Pecha Berry towards her.

She accepted the berry gratefully, feeling much better after eating it.

"Do you need to rest?" Firnen inquired. She shook her head.

"I'll walk the rest of it off. Come on, let's go," she said, picking a northern path and walking down it.

The chamber they arrived held an Oran Berry, lying in the middle of a vibrant fern. Kia picked it up, and they moved down the southern path.

That path led to a tiny, cramped room that led eastward.

As they traversed the eastern path, they came across a Sunkern in the next chamber.

The yellow Pokemon sent out a tiny brown Leech Seed. Formora dodged it, and blasted her enemy with Powder Snow. It landed roughly on a shrub, and Kia was quick to hit it with his Feint Attack.

The foe cried out, and with a grimace it sent out a large, transparent green beam at Firnen, who was unable to dodge the attack.

"Ah!" he exclaimed as the Sunkern's Mega Drain stole a bit of his energy.

The beam retracted back into the Sunkern's body, and it jumped out of the way of Kia's Sonic Boom. However, it failed to notice Formora's Ice Beam.

It fainted with a surprised look on its face.

The only other exit led further east, and it took them straight to the stairs.

 **6F**

She arrived facing north. There was a path directly in front of her, as well as to the west. Since she'd spotted the northern corridor first, she decided that was where they'd go.

"Uh...Formora?" Kia's confused voice came from behind.

"What? Oh," she said, understanding his confusion.

The stairs had been right behind her.

 **7F**

On this floor, there weren't many foes or items to be found. The only thing they'd encountered so far was a Sunkern, which quickly fell to Formora's icy powers.

So, when the trio stumbled across a Bulbasaur after rounding a 90-degree turn, Formora was eager to fight.

The Bulbasaur ducked underneath her Ice Beam, and sent out two thick vines from its back. The vines whipped at her body, making her hiss and flinch, before they retreated back into the Bulbasaur.

Formora scowled as the lashes burned with fiery pain. This Bulbasaur was going to regret that attack. But the Bulbasaur's bulb was already opening, and a wave of purple spores were emitted into the air.

Formora faltered, suddenly worried. They had no more poison-healing items, and there was no telling if she would be able to make it to the stairs in time!

She gazed fearfully at the oncoming purple cloud. She had to escape. But where? There was nowhere else to go!

Didn't matter; she _had_ to get away from these spores, and fast. Closing her eyes, she _threw_ herself sideways, hoping to evade the Poison Powder. She felt an odd tingle pass through her, then she landed clumsily on the hard ground.

Wait.

She was lying on something hard and solid. There were only plants on the floor. Confused, she opened her eyes, and cried out in surprise.

She...was in the _wall_!

There was a transparent, barely-visible green tint in front of her, where the wall should have been. On the other side, Kia had flown over the Bulbasaur, and Feinted an Attack to the left, but abruptly switched directions and came at it from the right, sending it flying straight into Firnen's waiting Dual Chop.

The Bulbasaur was defeated, and her teammates looked at her expectantly, like nothing was wrong.

" _WHAT IS HAPPENING?! I'M IN THE WALL!_ " Formora screamed. How did this happen?! How could she get out?!

"You're a ghost-type, Lady Formora," Kia explained patiently. "You have the ability to walk through walls."

...What?

"I...can?" she asked hesitantly. Obviously she could confirm that right now, but that seemed an...odd ability.

"Yep. If you want to come out, just walk normally," Firnen nodded.

Warily, she slowly moved near the transparent green film, until she was inches away from it. She poked out a finger, and was startled to feel a loose, flimsy substance where the film was. It felt like a sheet of plastic wrap. She could _walk_ through this?

She pushed her hand out further, and her hand went through the film, as easy as dipping a finger into water. Marginally more confident, she walked through the film. She felt that odd tingling sensation again, then she was back inside the hallway.

"That's weird," she frowned, staring at the spot she'd just come from. She touched the wall, and it felt like regular, solid moss.

"Just will yourself to phase through walls, and it'll happen. You're still visible, but you can still attack enemies, and they can't attack back. But, all ghost-types can do this, so you're still vulnerable to ghost-type attacks," Firnen warned.

She perked up at that middle part. She could attack foes from the wall, and they couldn't hit back? Suddenly her newfound ability didn't seem so bad.

"That's amazing! I can't wait to try it again!" she beamed.

"The only caveat is that you'll get hungrier much faster the longer you spend time in the walls. Uses a lot of stamina, you know?" Kia cautioned.

Formora dismissed him with a wave of her hand as she resumed walking.

"I'll be fine," she said.

They passed through two more empty rooms before encountering the stairs.

 **8F**

They arrived by 97 Poke. After picking it up, they went down the only path, which led west. It took them to a tiny chamber with a Petilil sleeping by the northern exit.

The trio tried to tiptoe around it, but there wasn't much space in the cramped room and it woke up promptly. Formora managed to smack it with Ice Beam before she was caught by its Leech Seed.

The tiny brown seed stuck to her head, and grew hundreds of vines all around her, ensnaring her and preventing her from being able to move.

"Get it!" she shouted to Kia and Firnen as she struggled uselessly. She wailed as the seed activated, stealing her energy and giving it to the Petilil.

The Petilil took advantage of her helplessness and slashed her arms with Razor Leaf, leaving bright red marks where the leaves had cut. Then Firnen tackled it to the ground, and he stood over it, pinning it down while he raked it brutally with Dual Chop. Then he held it in the air for Kia to snipe with Sonic Boom. And thus, is disappeared. As it did, the Leech Seed vanished as well, freeing Formora, who stood up gratefully.

"Thanks," she said as she got moving again.

They soon came upon a Leafeon in the hall. Formora, eager to try out wall-traveling, pressed up against the wall and willed herself to move through it. She imagined her body dematerializing, becoming unsolid. She put her will behind her thoughts, and to her delight her body obeyed, and she passed into the mossy rock wall without hindrance.

Kia flew behind the Leafeon so that it was now surrounded on three sides. It kicked sand in his face, blinding him and making him scrabble at his eyes. Firnen avenged the Vibrava by rapping it smartly on the head with his Assurance.

The Leafeon whirled around, ramming into him in retaliation. As it sprang back, It was surprised by Formora's Ice Beam from the wall. It looked at her, then back at Firnen, who had stood back up and was ready to fight some more.

He baited it by leaping at it with Dual Chop, and the Leafeon jumped away from the attack. Formora, who was ready for this, swiftly blasted it with Powder Snow. The Leafeon crashed against the opposite wall with a cry, and it fell to the ground, stunned.

Kia had managed to clear his eyes by now, and he finished it off with Sonic Boom.

They found the stairs in the next chamber.

 **9F**

 **Weather Condition: Cloudy**

Now it was cloudy here in Xerneas' home dungeon. According to Kia, all attacks except for normal-type attacks would be weakened.

There were halls in all four directions, so they decided to travel down the northernmost path. The path took them to the west instead, but it was alright, as it led directly to the room with the Stairs.

Formora was glad, as she was starting to tire. This dungeon was the longest she'd ever traveled through, and there was no telling when it would end. She made them pause for an apple break.

As they were eating, something surprised her from behind with Sleep Powder. Formora noticed too late that green spores were falling on her, making her feel so sleepy…

The last thing she remembered was warning her friends that they were being attacked.

She had no dreams, thankfully. No memories of her past that she'd rather keep buried.

Just dark silence.

She was almost sad when she woke back up. Disoriented, she looked around, searching for the Pokemon that sent her to sleep.

"What attacked us?" she asked as she got up. Kia was nursing a cut on his leg that hadn't been there before.

"A Petilil. Don't worry, we defeated it. Got me good with Razor Leaf, though, but I'll be alright. Shall we continue?" Kia explained.

"Sure," Formora said.

 **10F**

They arrived in the same room as the stairs, along with a sleeping Leafeon. Formora decided to leave it alone, and ascended.

 **11F**

Formora was hoping they'd reached the end soon. Though she wasn't hungry anymore, she was getting tired, and it had to be close to sunset by now. They'd have to get out of here soon, so that they wouldn't be fighting Xerneas in the dark.

When they inevitably stumbled across a lone Flabébé with a red flower in the hall they were currently traveling down, Formora was in no mood for a battle.

"Go away," she stormed as she Leered maliciously at it before going into the wall. Kia flew over the cowering Flabébé, keeping a cautious distance away from it.

The Flabébé recovered and whipped up a swirling pink wind, sending it at Firnen, who barely managed to duck underneath it. He let out a whimper. Formora rolled her eyes. Type disadvantage or not, these two were afraid of a _Flab_ _é_ _b_ _é_?

She showed them what they were supposed to be doing by nailing the tiny little thing with Ice Beam. It landed on the ground, creating a small dent in the bush it landed in.

Formora swiftly ended it with the same attack.

"That's how it's done," she told the boys as she walked into the awaiting chamber.

It was hard to see them because they camouflaged so well, but the stairs were in this room.

 **Verdant Gorge**

The trio arrived in front of a large river that separated them from the rest of the highlands. To their left, a roaring waterfall that had to have been at least 200 feet tall incessantly poured sparkling water into the very river they now stood in front of. The land on both sides of the river was rocky and steep, everything covered in vibrant moss. It was quite humid here too, and sweat was already dripping down Formora's face. Small trees guarded the riverbed, but past them the rest of the highlands could be seen. Colorful flowers in all shapes and sizes dotted the landscape, and across the river Formora spotted a small tree growing hundreds of times faster than normal.

This had to be the place, then.

"Xerneas! Show yourself!" Formora called out, cupping her hands around her mouth.

They waited, but no response came.

"Could he be hiding? Don't tell me we have to search this entire place for him," Firnen groaned.

Formora shook her head. "From everyone's description, he doesn't seem like the type to hide. Look around, you can see the rest of the land across the river. Kia, fly across and see if there's anything beyond those trees."

Kia did as she asked, and returned promptly with his findings

"Unless he can fly or Teleport, there's nowhere for him to go. It's just a sheer drop-off past the treeline," he reported.

Formora scowled. "He must not be here, then. It's not that surprising; he'd have to be an idiot to stay at home. Hopefully we'll have better luck with Cresselia. We might as well set up camp here, in case he does happen to come home."

So they did. They set up a small campfire well away from the churning river. It had taken them many tries to light their firewood. The humidity extinguished most of their sparks, but eventually they managed to coax a small flame into existence.

Formora scoured the land for food, and returned with wild blackberries, dandelions, and some mushrooms. The boys weren't sure about eating the mushrooms, but Formora assured them they were safe. She had more knowledge on survival, after all.

It wasn't a fulfilling meal, but it prevented them from going to bed hungry.

Formora was still awake by the time Kia and Firnen had fallen asleep. She rolled onto her back, staring up at the night sky, which was filled with bright, twinkling stars.

She hadn't realized until now just how much she'd missed sleeping under the stars. Not in winter so much, but there was always a peaceful tranquility about resting outdoors. It'd also been a while since she had to forage for her own food.

She'd missed the thrill of fighting death, of competing for the right to exist.

She wished she could do this everyday.

* * *

 **There are actual recipes for cooked dandelions. I'll leave it up to you guys if you want to try any of them ._.'**

 **The next post will include: a forest, a note, and moon-related enemies.**


	12. Chapter 12

Formora woke to something tickling her face. She opened her eyes to find a bright yellow petal blooming across her cheek. She got up with a start.

There were a bunch of flowers growing where she had been sleeping. Scowling, she uprooted them all, cursing this stupid place.

The night passed with no disturbances. Xerneas had not returned home at all. It was frustrating, but a possibility they had considered. There was no telling when he would return, so Formora, Kia, and Firnen left the dungeon and began the journey to Full Moon Forest, located in the northwest quadrant of the continent.

Following the river downstream, they eventually found a spot on the ledge they could use to get down to the highlands and out of the mountains. They'd rather not have to go back through the range itself again.

Kia flew Firnen and Formora across the river, wheezing heavily once the task was done. In front of them now was a steep hill that was flat enough and tilted enough so that they could slowly and carefully walk down it.

Kia and Formora did not need to worry about scaling the slope, but the land-bound Firnen did. Together, they lifted him into the air and gently flew down the slope, setting him carefully on the ground. Kia desperately needed to rest for a moment, not being strong enough to carry the Fraxure for very long. It created a huge strain on his arms and wings.

After a few minutes though, he said that he was well enough to continue, so off they went. The boys wanted to stay off the main paths to avoid being seen, but Formora wasn't having any of it.

"Let them see us," she argued. "We are Team Renegade; the chosen three of Giratina. We do _not_ hide."

As she was the team leader and the Champion to boot, the other two had no choice but to obey.

* * *

 **Full Moon Forest (** **watch?v=7oFWr-cy4uU** **)**

They arrived in the early afternoon. The sun was now hidden behind some clouds, providing some relief from the June heat. The dungeon entrance was ringed by lush trees that were only about thirty feet tall. The leaves were an odd blue-green color, and the floor was covered in vibrant green grass and ferns. There were small white flowers everywhere as well, but strangely they were closed.

"Moonflowers," Kia explained when she pointed them out. "They only bloom at night."

Well. At least they weren't growing abnormally fast.

"Hm. Let's just go. Hopefully we'll find Cresselia," Formora frowned as they entered.

 **B1F**

Cresselia's dungeon was also full of life.

The ground was composed of short, springy grass, and more moonflowers dotted the landscape. The walls were just short cliffs that held ferns, bushes, and small trees on top. The dungeon was completely open to the sky, and large brown roots snaked throughout the chamber. A crisp breeze wafted through the room, and Formora noticed tiny will-o-the-wisps floating lazily in the corners.

Meh.

She picked a path heading east, and unceremoniously began traveling down it.

The first room she came to held an apple, and to the group's pleasure, the stairs.

 **B2F**

Their starting room did not hold the stairs, nor did the first room they came to. All it had was a angry Lunatone.

"Careful, Formora. It's a rock-type. Your ice-type moves won't do much against it. Better to use Astonish," Kia warned as the Lunatone sent out glowing red chains at him.

The chains wrapped around their bag tightly, preventing any items from being used. Formora did not mind the Embargo, however.

She wouldn't need items for this.

With a shout, she lunged at the Lunatone, striking it with her Astonish. Squealing, the Lunatone sailed backwards until it crashed into the wall. As it shook off the pain, Kia Feinted an Attack, then struck it, sending it back against the wall, where it made a large indent.

Firnen finished it with a smart rap to its tan head, Assuring their victory. The Embargoing chains disappeared a second later.

With that over with, they moved south, where they found a Clefairy just entering the room from the opposite side.

As Team Renegade approached it, it Curled into a Defensive ball, as if that would be enough to save it. Formora and Firnen managed to hit it with Ice Beam and Assurance, but the pink Pokemon dodged Kia's Sand Tomb and began Singing at him, sending out colorful musical notes.

The notes hit him, but his Vibra Scarf began vibrating intensely, keeping him from falling asleep.

"Nice try," he grinned wolfishly at the unfortunate foe, who was soon defeated by Bulldoze.

The hall it came from led to the stairs

 **B3F**

Upon arriving, the trio walked north, where they promptly ran into an Umbreon. The Umbreon was keen to attack, and quickly struck Formora with Quick Attack. Formora winced, but was otherwise unhurt. She threw an Ice Beam at it in response, and the Umbreon hissed in pain.

It then dove after her, knocking her down with Pursuit. While she had been knocked down, Formora was not hurt by the super-effective attack.

Far from it.

Her Froslass Bow activated, turning the damage she would have taken and using it to heal her instead, though there wasn't much to heal.

She stood up with a sinister grin, and the Umbreon faltered, wondering why the ghost-type hadn't been hurt by the dark-type move.

As it stood there, she hit it roughly again with her Ice Beam, and to her surprised delight the foe disappeared.

"Nicely done," Firnen said as they got moving again.

The next room had 54 Poké in it, which they picked up, but the next hall held an Illumise and Sylveon. Formora phased into the wall, so that the fight would end quicker.

She blasted the unsuspecting Illumise with Powder Snow, hitting the Sylveon as well, and as the confused foe tried to find where that attack had come from, Firnen give it a vicious uppercut with his Assurance, sending it straight into the air, only to be defeated by the airborne Kia's Sonic Boom.

That left only the Sylveon, who was aware now of Formora's presence in the wall. Keeping one eye on her, it shot yellow stars from its mouth onto Firnen, who howled in pain. Formora avenged him with Ice Beam, but the Sylveon evaded by leaping into the air.

However, this left it open to Kia, and the Vibrava eagerly smacked it with Sonic Boom, causing it to land harshly on the ground and creating a small rut.

As it lay there stunned, Firnen and Formora vanquished it with a simultaneous Ice Beam and Assurance.

Thankfully, the next room held the stairs.

 **B4F**

The stairs were with them on this floor. Formora was pleased.

 **B5F**

After picking up 104 Poké that was lying nearby, the trio headed west, and down a seemingly endless hallway.

After a solid five minutes of walking, they came to a small room, which held a Volbeat who was just entering from the north. The Volbeat Quickly dashed over to Formora, Attacking her before retreating.

Formora hardly felt the attack, being a ghost-type. She punished it for its idiocy with Ice Beam, sending the bug-type flying through the air until it crashed against the wall.

As she and her friends drew closer, however, light began to shine down upon the Volbeat, and by utilizing the moon's energy it healed most of its wounds.

Formora scowled. She hated foes who could heal themselves.

The Volbeat continued by sending out two twirling lights at Formora. She moved out of the way, taking care not to look at the lights. She did not want to be hit by that Confuse Ray.

Once she was safely out of harm's way she blasted the foe again with Ice Beam. Before it could react, Kia and Firnen were quick to finish it off with Dragon Rage and Sonic Boom.

With that done, they headed north, and quickly found the room with the stairs. Only problem was, a Clefairy was guarding them.

The Clefairy began Singing, sending out colorful musical notes at Formora, who was too slow too evade.

The sweet lullaby made her tired. The grass below was bound feel so soft, and she was _so_ tired after walking here from Verdant Ravine.

Before she knew it, she was fast asleep. As she slept, she felt a quick stab of pain that vanished as swiftly as it had arrived. But after that, nothing else happened, and she woke up with no sign of the Clefairy.

Her teammates must have defeated it.

Inspecting a mysterious new bruise on her side, she descended.

 **B6F**

Soon after they began moving, Kia asked Formora what humans looked like.

"What type are they?" he asked.

"Humans don't have a type," Formora replied, to Kia and Firnen's shock. "Chairs don't have a type. Berries don't have a type. And neither do humans."

"How is that possible?!" Firnen demanded.

Formora shrugged. "It just is. But we make up for it by our ability to build and control their environment. There are many things back in Castelia that don't exist here. Cars, computers, planes…"

She had to stop for a brief moment to take down a Volbeat. Once it was gone, she continued, "We don't evolve either. We're bipedal, and start out tiny, weak, and stupid, and we can live to over a hundred years, though that's rare. Women are normally shorter than men; adults usually are about five-and-a-half-feet tall, whereas men are usually six feet tall. We're mostly hairless, but short hairs cover most of our body. On our heads grow an abundance of hair that can come in all colors of the rainbow. Women's hair usually grows longer than men's, but that's not always the case. Most men can grow hair on their chins too. Our skin comes in a range of colors, from light beige to dark brown. We always wear clothes, too."

It felt odd, telling to Pokemon what humans looked like. Formora, who had grown so used to being a Froslass, actually had to _remember_ what a human looked like.

Strange.

"I see...Fascinating," Kia mused.

They found the stairs soon after.

 **B7F**

They found a Munna and Lunatone waiting for them on the next floor. Both used Hypnosis, and Kia and Formora were hit, but Formora was the one who fell asleep. Kia was protected by his Vibra Scarf.

She felt many blows upon her body while she slept, and when she woke she angrily blasted the nearest thing—the Munna—with her Ice Beam.

It must have already taken some hits, because it instantly vanished, leaving only the Lunatone.

...Never mind. The Lunatone, who seemed to have sped itself up with Rock Polish, evaded Firnen's Assurance, but ultimately fell victim to Kia's Feint Attack.

After checking to make sure everyone was alright, they headed west. After a few minutes of exploring, and battling an Umbreon, they found the stairs.

 **B8F**

There was a Sylveon in their starting chamber this time, but also the stairs, which were closer. The trio descended right before the Sylveon could reach them.

 **B9F**

On this floor, they soon came upon a Volbeat in a hall. It was surprised by Formora's Ice Beam from the wall, and made the mistake of turning its back on Kia and Firnen to look for the hidden threat.

It was quickly taken out by Dual Chop and Sand Tomb.

The room the hall led to held nothing, so they went north and through another room, which held an Oran Berry. They picked it up, and turned to find a Clefairy waiting for them.

The pink enemy jumped up, and Double Slapped Firnen repeatedly until his cheeks were bright red. He pushed it away with Assurance, and it responded by Curling Defensively, lessening the damage it took.

Formora, meanwhile, knocked it to the ground with Ice Beam, where it was quickly gotten rid of by Kia's perfectly-timed Bulldoze.

Formora nodded in satisfaction, and they moved east, with Firnen rubbing his sore cheeks.

The next room was manned by a Sylveon, who was not at all happy with their intrusion. It lunged at them, leaping into the air and striking Kia with Quick Attack. However, this made it vulnerable when it began falling, and Firnen and Formora wasted no time in punishing it with Assurance and Ice Beam.

In Firnen's case, he had to get close to it, and after his attack landed he was sent flying by a pink Fairy Wind-courtesy of the vengeful Sylveon.

"You okay?" Kia called to him as Formora dodged a Sand Attack.

"Somewhat," Firnen replied with a groan as Formora knocked out the Sylveon with Ice Beam.

Firnen decided to walk off the pain, and the next room they found held the stairs.

 **B10F**

The third hall they went down through was being blocked by an Illumise. With a shout, Formora lunged for the foe, eager to obliterate it.

But the Illumise was wise, and a red glow began to surround it. As Formora drew close, the Illumise threw a wall of red energy straight at her, causing Formora to be sent sprawling across the ground.

As she was hit by Struggle Bug, though, something inside clicked.

She got up, and instinct told her to form a ball of shadows in her palm. She did so, willing all the darkness in her heart to take shape in her outstretched palm. A purple sphere formed as she bid, and she threw the ball at the Illumise, who was knocked off its feet.

She finished it off with Ice Beam, and turned to face her amazed teammates.

"Hey, you learned Shadow Ball! Awesome!" Firnen congratulated, giving her a high-five.

"I forgot a move too, right?" Formora asked rhetorically, turning to the wall and systematically going through her attacks. Astonish and Powder Snow were fine, and she knew she could still use Ice Beam, but when she tried to use Leer, she found she couldn't muster up the right face for it anymore. She could leer, of course, but she could no longer _Leer_.

That was fine. She preferred offensive moves anyway.

Three rooms, two halls, and a Lunatone later, they found the stairs.

 **B11F**

On this floor, Formora arrived—and stopped dead in her tracks, momentarily surprised. She had spawned right in front of the stairs.

 **B12F**

An Umbreon was with them when they arrived, and wasted no time in kicking up a Sand Attack in Formora's face.

Formora scowled, pausing to clear her eyes free of the blinding sand. Beside her, she heard her teammates attack. From the sound of it, Kia knocked the Umbreon off its feet with Bulldoze, and Firnen punched it twice with Dual Chop.

Formora threw a Powder Snow in the direction where she thought the Umbreon was before continuing to clear her eyes, but she heard nothing to say that she had hit.

Then Kia used Bulldoze once more, and a pained cry came from the Umbreon. Then, all was silent.

Formora managed to restore her vision again, and saw that the fight was over. Slightly annoyed at her uselessness, she stalked down the eastern path, and brightened when she came across the stairs.

 **B13F**

There was a Munna in their starting chamber, right in front of Formora. Before she could react, red Hypnotic waves emanated from the Munna and onto her.

"Not again," she grumbled as she fell asleep.

The next thing she knew, she was standing in a blank white background. Was she dreaming? This did not feel like a dream, though…

"What are you doing in my home?" a female voice asked from behind.

She turned to find a floating Pokemon standing there, an angry glare in her eyes. She had a yellow head shaped like a crescent, a purple body, no legs, and pink wings that sparkled.

Formora knew instantly who she was.

"We killed your spy Natu a few weeks ago. He tried to kill me," she told Cresselia.

The legendary frowned. "I'm quite aware of that. But there are many others within your walls. Now, you and your teammates need to leave. I am not home, and you will not find anything there."

"Nice try," Formora snorted. "But we're staying. You and Xerneas can't hide from us forever. Someday, we _will_ catch you."

"If that is a threat, then I am not intimidated. The Light's Chosen is in this world, and they will save us all from your side's cruelty. You will cease to exist, and then this war will finally be over," Cresselia replied evenly.

"I will _never_ lose. The world needs to know what it is like to suffer while everyone else ignores your pain," Formora snarled, forming a Shadow Ball in her hand.

But then everything went black, and Cresselia's final words echoed in her head: "One day, yes, we shall fight indeed. And then you will realize that you are destined to die…"

She then found herself back in Full Moon Forest, the Munna gone and the boys cheering.

"Formora! I learned a new move too!" Firnen beamed, helping her up.

"It's Dragon Claw! He forgot how to use Leer," Kia explained.

"Something happened while I was asleep," Formora said, ignoring them.

As they continued on, Formora explained how Cresselia visited her in her sleep. She told them of the lunar legend's words, and how she was not here.

"Obviously she's lying," Firnen frowned. "She's trying to trick us into leaving so she can escape."

Formora shook her head. "I don't think she was, but there might be something else at the end that she doesn't want us to see."

The trio, curious to know what lay at the end, found the stairs five minutes later.

 **B14F**

"Ugh, how much longer?" Formora sighed, picking up a nearby apple and eating it. She was tired, despite the nap on the previous floor.

"Not too far, I hope. At least the stairs are here with us," Firnen said comfortingly, pointing to the gray stone steps.

 **B15F**

The third hall they went down was blocked by a Munna and Lunatone. Before either of them could send her to dreamland, Formora went inside the walls.

So, instead, the Munna used its Hypnosis on Firnen, and the Fraxure went down like a sack of bricks.

Formora sent it careening against the other side of the hall with Shadow Ball, wanting this expedition to be done with already.

She then turned and did the same to the Lunatone, who was preparing to attack Kia and he flew to finish the Munna off. The Lunatone screamed, and Formora sent out another Shadow Ball at it.

It disappeared.

Kia used Feint Attack on the Munna, and it responded by drawing energy from the moon.

"No you don't!" Formora growled, ending it with Ice Beam before its Moonlight had any real effect.

Firnen woke soon after, grinning sheepishly, and they moved on.

Once they found the stairs, an Illumise was just entering the room.

They made a beeline for the steps, and Formora managed to reach them right before the Illumise's Struggle Bug hit her.

 **Full Moon Clearing**

The trio arrived at a spacious clearing that was completely open to the sky, giving Formora the impression that this would be the perfect place for stargazing. Trees surrounded the clearing, and there wasn't much vegetation on the ground; just some ferns and more moonflowers. Up ahead, Formora spotted a small path leading deeper within the forest.

"Over here," she said, moving towards the egress.

The path led to an even bigger clearing, but that was all.

It was completely empty.

Just like before.

Just like Cresselia said.

Formora was angry. This entire trip had been a complete waste of time! She was not looking forward to reporting their findings—or lack thereof—to Giratina.

"Hey, Formora, look at this," Kia called. He was standing above a piece of paper tacked onto a tree.

"What's that?" she asked, coming over to see it.

It was covered in strange scribbles. Either another language, or...a cipher, perhaps? She smiled at that thought. She liked intrigue.

"Dunno. Some sort of code message or something. I can't make heads or tails out of it. We should bring it back to Intel. Miles might be able to decipher it," Kia suggested, pocketing the note.

So this trip _hadn't_ been a complete waste of time. That pleased her.

She nodded. "Good idea. Come, there's nothing else for us to do here."

* * *

There was still some time left in the day before sunset, and Formora, on impulse, decided they'd head south, towards Joyful Forest. That Shiny Litwick might still be around, and she'd feel much better if they brought a Shiny _and_ the note back to base.

There was a small town near the dungeon where they'd encountered the Shiny Litwick and the Pumpkaboo: Lily Town. They weren't able to arrive there when darkness fell, but they made good distance nevertheless. They were only about four or five hours away from the town when they set up camp, and they planned on getting there as soon as possible tomorrow.

They found some berry trees, and had a fantastic berry salad for dinner.

Formora fell asleep, dreaming about the things she'd do when she found that Litwick.

* * *

 **That Litwick had better watch out o.o**

 **The next installment shall contain: a thicket, a Shiny, and a new attack.**


	13. Chapter 13

This time, Formora woke up to a Murkrow directly in front of her face. She screamed and threw herself backwards, half-forming an Ice Beam in her hand.

Kia and Firnen awakened instantly, and prepared to attack the Murkrow as well.

"Wait, wait! Don't hurt me; I'm one of you guys!" the Murkrow said hastily, holding up her wings harmlessly. The trio paused, but did not negate their half-prepared attacks.

"My name's Murkrow. I'm what you call a field agent, I suppose. I fly around looking for Shinies. And boy, do I have one for you three!" the Murkrow continued.

"...I'm listening," Formora said after a moment, canceling her Ice Beam. She sensed no dishonesty from Murkrow, and her teammates followed her lead and canceled their own attacks.

Murkrow relaxed. "Thanks. See, I arrived in this area yesterday evening. And what do I find? A Shiny Riolu heading into a dungeon! I've kept my eye on him all night, and he hasn't left. If you're interested, I can show you where he is."

A Shiny Riolu? It wasn't the Litwick, but still, a Shiny was a Shiny.

"Deal. Lead us there," Formora nodded.

Murkrow returned the gesture, taking to the air and hovering a few feet off the ground. "He's over at a place called Jungle Thicket. Not hard at all, that dungeon. Follow me."

"Have you seen a Shiny Litwick at all, by the way? Possibly traveling with a Pumpkaboo?" Formora asked as they began following Murkrow.

"A Shiny Litwick? Hm, can't say I have, although I just got here. I'll certainly keep an eye out," Murkrow replied after a moment's thought.

* * *

 **Jungle Thicket ( watch?v=6HMLDzZXcHE)**

Murkrow stopped in front of a path that disappeared into shadows. She'd led them into a small jungle overrun completely by plants. Only a few beams of sunlight filtered through the trees, most of it blocked by the canopy.

"Here we are, Jungle Thicket. The Riolu should be at the end," Murkrow said, perching on a low-hanging branch.

"Thanks," Formora nodded as they began entering.

"I'm heading east now, but I'll keep looking for your Litwick," she heard Murkrow say before she was swallowed up by the dungeon.

 **B1F**

The overwhelming humidity was what Formora noticed first. She hadn't been here three seconds and already she was sweating.

This dungeon just made the #1 spot on her 'I Absolutely _Loathe_ This Place' list.

Trees as tall as skyscrapers loomed above, their abundant canopies preventing most of the sunlight above from entering the undergrowth. The path was made of loosely-packed dirt covered in leaves, and it was completed surrounded by bushes and ferns. Tropical flowers grew all over the place, and the walls were disguised by sheets upon sheets of ivy hanging from the trees. A quick peek beneath all the layers revealed that the ivy was blanketing a huge rock wall.

"I hate this place," Formora grumbled, wiping her forehead.

"It is indeed quite muggy," Kia agreed, although he and Firnen didn't seem as badly affected by the humidity as Formora.

She chalked it up to their life near the mantle in Sealed Abyss before they were transferred to the base. They must be used to heat.

Something caught her eye, and she grinned.

"The stairs!" she beamed.

 **B2F**

The first thing she saw was a Tropius heading their way. As if this grass/flying-type could defeat _her_.

From within its leafy wings, the Tropius shot menacing Razor-sharp Leaves straight at Formora's face. She dodged easily, as there was enough distance between her and her foe in order for her to process the incoming threat.

She threw an Ice Beam at it in return, and as it screeched in pain Kia was quick to dart forward and end its sorry life with Feint attack.

With that nuisance over with, they headed down the eastern path, through a tiny chamber, and past a short hall headed north.

This hall led into a respectably-sized room that housed a Grovyle, who stood at their entrance. Dashing forward, it Quickly Attacked Formora, who barely even blinked.

Registering that its attack hadn't worked, the Grovyle paused, and Formora wasted no time in sending it flying across the ground with Powder Snow. She stepped forward, allowing her teammates to enter the room as she wiped the sweat off her brow. This humidity made battling much more tiring. Kia and Firnen swiftly dispatched the Grovyle with Sonic Boom and Dragon Claw.

They pressed onwards. The stairs were located in the next hall.

 **B3F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

The trio headed east, and soon ran into a Tangrowth and Heracross in the hall. The Tangrowth was jumpy, most likely due to its Chlorophyll Ability activating, increasing its speed.

Well, Formora had a type advantage and surprise on her side. She phased into the wall, leaving her teammates and the foes. The Tangrowth speedily shot out two vines, wrapping them around Firnen and severely Constricting his movement. He let out a harsh choke as his ribcage was squeezed.

"No," Formora admonished it with an Ice Beam from the wall. The Tangrowth screeched, dropping Firnen and turning to face her. Firnen lay on the ground, gasping for breath.

It easily evaded Kia's airborne Sonic Boom, and sent out two more if its vines at her.

But she was safely in the wall.

It couldn't reach her.

"Dummy," Formora snorted as she prepared another Ice Beam.

The Tangrowth tensed, and jumped away when she attacked. Only, she aimed for the Heracross instead. The Tangrowth leaped right into Kia's awaiting Feint Attack, and down it fell.

The Heracross, meanwhile, dashed forward faster than Formora could blink, striking Firnen with its Aerial Ace. He let out a strangled cry, and Formora wasted no time in punishing it with Shadow Ball.

It vanished, and she returned from the wall. Once everyone was ready to continue, they set forward once more, finding 67 Poké before encountering a Grovyle in a corridor.

She dove into the wall yet again, allowing the Grovyle to Leer menacingly at her teammates. Formora wasn't as easily cowed, and surprised the green enemy with Powder Snow.

As it turned to see just where in the world it was attacked from, the boys got over their initial wariness and ganged up on the Grovyle, ending it with Dual Chop and Sonic Boom.

At least the stairs were in the next room.

 **B4F**

In the middle of exploring the floor, Formora found a large, green, jelly-bean shaped item lying on the ground.

"What's this thing?" she asked, going over to it and picking it up.

"That's a Grass Gummi. It's a food item, and grass-types like it the best. You can eat it if you want; it won't do anything," Kia explained.

Formora popped the Gummi in her mouth, and furrowed her brow.

The thing tasted like raw peas.

Grass-types liked _peas_ the best?

Idiots.

 **B5F**

The first room they entered held a Heracross, whose back was turned to them as it walked across the room to the exit. Formora happily shot it in the back with Ice Beam, and as it turned around it was promptly annihilated by Kia's Bulldoze.

The next three rooms they came across held nothing but a single apple total, but the chamber after that held both the stairs and a Grovyle.

The tall green enemy evaded Formora's Powder Snow, but was caught in Kia's Sand Tomb. Its legs were held fast in the ground, and a whirlwind of sand whipped mercilessly at its body.

Scowling, it attempted to heal itself with Absorb, sending out a transparent green beam at Formora and draining a bit of her energy.

The attack made her pause for a brief moment as a sliver of health was siphoned—then she promptly got over it and vaporized the idiot with Ice Beam.

 **B6F**

The floor was so overrun with ground-level plants, Formora almost missed spotting the stairs when they arrived.

 **B7F**

 **Weather Condition: Rainy**

The first foe they encountered was a Tropius in a corridor. Formora vanished into the walls, just in time to avoid being Stomped to the ground.

She quickly blasted the flying foe with Powder Snow before it had a chance to retreat. It howled, and settled for lacerating Firnen with Razor Leaf, since it couldn't hurt her.

"Ah!" Firnen hissed, taking a step back.

The Tropius evaded Kia's Feint Attack, but ultimately fell to an Ice Beam from Formora.

She returned into the hall, ignoring the rain above and grabbing an apple from their bag. All this wall-traveling was making her hungry.

She munched on the apple as they walked down the rest of the hall. She'd just eaten the last bite when they came upon a Heracross in the next room. She tossed the core away, and kicked off the fight with Shadow Ball.

The Heracross flew out of the way, its horn glowing a bright white. It dove at her, striking her with its glowing horn in a cunning Feint. Formora sucked in a breath, but was otherwise unhurt. Before the foe had time to get away, she put her hand against its chest, and summoned an Ice Beam.

The attack should have defeated it, but the wily foe was smart, Enduring the attack instead. A red aura outlined it, and it bravely took the point-blank hit, just barely surviving.

However, Kia hit it from behind with Sonic Boom as soon as the Endure ended. It cried out, and disappeared.

They traveled west, stopping once to pick up an Oran Berry, and eventually they found a Tangrowth wandering the hall.

Its back was turned, so Formora and Kia (who was hovering above her) double-teamed it with Ice Beam and Sonic Boom.

The foe fainted without ever knowing what happened.

 **B8F**

They'd spawned in the same room as the stairs, but unfortunately there was a Tangrowth between them and their goal. No matter.

Formora threw a Shadow Ball at the vine-covered enemy, but it lumbered out of the way and sent out two of its many vines, grabbing her and slamming her down against the leafy floor.

She grunted as she collided with the ground, feeling the breath knocked out of her for a second. When she had her wits about her, she was just in time to watch as Kia and Firnen defeated the foe with Feint Attack and Dual Chop.

"Hmph. Steal all my fun, why don't you?" she grumbled, standing up.

"Sorry," the boys chorused.

 **B9F**

This time, a Grovyle and Heracross were here with them in their beginning chamber. The Grovyle's back was turned, and it quickly fell to an extra-powerful Ice Beam from Formora.

She smiled, right before she was struck by the Heracross' Aerial Ace. She fell face-first on the ground, and before the Heracross had a chance to follow up she rolled away, getting nimbly back to her feet.

She wiped the sweat off her brow, silently cursing this overly-warm hell, and watched as Kia dodged a Horn Attack. Firnen dove into the fray, nailing the Heracross with his new favorite move, Dragon Claw.

Giving the boys a taste of their own medicine, Formora swooped in and finished the blue bug with Powder Snow.

She gave them a smug look, then cockily sauntered down an eastern hallway, where to her delight, the stairs were waiting.

 **B10F**

To Formora's utmost relief, the stairs were in this room. She hoped this was the last floor. It was way too humid in this Arceusforsaken hellhole of a dungeon...

 **B11F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

Nope.

They had not one, but _two_ Tangrowth in their spawn room. The things were pumped up by the sun, increasing their speed.

Both of them dodged Ice Beam and Dragon Rage, and the one on the left Whipped Kia with its Vines as the other one began emitting a green wave of spores at Formora.

"Damn it," she grumbled as the spores made her fall asleep. She'd been hit by too many sleep-inducing attacks lately.

She felt a few sharp stabs of pain while she slept, and when she finally woke only one Tangrowth was left. It was trying to grab Firnen with its vines as Kia nursed a lacerated wing.

Angrily, Formora raised a hand and shot the Tangrowth with Ice Beam. As it hadn't noticed that she'd woken up, it fell instantly, leaving them free of foes.

"Everyone alright?" Formora asked, getting up.

"I think so. I hate Chlorophyll," Firnen groaned.

"I'll be fine. I've been through worse. I'll walk it off," Kia replied, standing up and gingerly stretching out the injured wing.

All three went east, and after a few minutes they were feeling back to normal. A Grovyle found them in a hall, and it Quickly Attacked Formora, who grimaced and deftly returned the favor with Powder Snow.

The Grovyle stepped back, hissing in pain. Formora, almost bored at this point, summoned a Shadow Ball and threw it. The Grovyle was too distracted to evade, and it vanished without a trace.

They found the stairs soon after.

 **B12F**

A Tropius had spawned with them, and it was closer to the boys than it was to Formora. Knowing how this charade would end, Formora sat back and watched her friends fight instead.

The Tropius raised a trunk-like forefoot off the ground, intending on Stomping Firnen flat. But the Fraxure rolled away in the nick of time, barely avoiding being crushed. The land trembled for a few seconds upon the impact.

Then Kia did something strange.

He opened his mouth, and exhaled a large, iridescent, ice-blue beam onto the Tropius. The large foe roared in pain, and stood there, paralyzed and unable to move.

Firnen ended its pain with Dual Chop, and both he and Formora gazed up in wonder at Kia.

"Was that Dragon Breath I just saw?" he asked. Kia, looking rather surprised, composed himself and nodded.

"Yes, it seems so," he agreed, quickly going over his move list.

He found that he had lost the ability to use Sand Tomb. It wasn't that great of a loss, and so the trio moved eastward, where they immediately found the stairs.

 **B13F**

The trio picked up the 34 Poké that was lying in their starting chamber, and set forward in the southern hall. They immediately ran into a Heracross.

Formora, tired and sweaty but overall fine, stayed in the actual hall. She didn't need to hide from these pitiful enemies.

She nailed the Heracross with Ice Beam, and evaded the Heracross' Feint. It Endured her next Ice Beam, but before it could counterattack she KO'd it with a regular attack as soon as Endure's protection ended.

Panting, she traveled down the rest of the hall, and sighed in relief when she found the stairs.

 **Jungle Ravine**

They found the Riolu as Murkrow said they would. He was busy uprooting plants, humming to himself. He did not hear Team Renegade as they approached.

"Hello," Formora grinned.

The yellow Riolu jumped in fright, then turned around.

"You scared me! Don't do that!" he exclaimed, clutching his chest. "What brings you three around here?"

"We heard there was a Shiny Riolu here, and we had to see for ourselves," Kia explained lazily, stretching his wings.

The Riolu laughed. "I'd think that with the increased number of Shinies in the land people would be more used to sights like me."

"Oh, they are," Formora said, putting her hands behind her back. She summoned a Shadow Ball and kept it there. "Tell me, do you know of the Light's Chosen?"

"The Light's what?" the Riolu asked, tilting his head.

"Doesn't matter. We'll find out soon enough," and with that, she threw her Ball at the Riolu. It caught him square in the chest, and he was hurled backward. He looked up in fright as they came closer.

"Who are you? What are you doing?!" he demanded, standing up and getting into a fighting stance.

"Your worst nightmare," Formora grinned menacingly, throwing another Shadow Ball at him.

The Riolu jumped out of the way, and her attack went right through a tree, leaving a large hole. Kia exhaled his Dragon Breath, but the Riolu rolled away, leaving burn marks on a bush.

"Stop it!" he cried out, his palm glowing white as he leaped into the air and slapping Kia with Force Palm.

Kia grunted, and started to fall from the sky until he righted himself at the last moment. The Riolu landed, and with a laugh Firnen jumped high, bearing down on their foe with a wicked-sharp Dragon Claw.

With a gasp, the Riolu dodged the hit, causing Firnen to rip off half a bush instead. Scowling, he paused to free his claws of the impaled leaves.

As the Riolu prepared to attack again, Formora knocked him flat on his stomach with Ice Beam. Kia landed on him before he had a chance to get up, effectively pinning him to the ground.

Once Firnen had freed his claws, he walked over and casually stepped on the Riolu's left arm. The Riolu screamed, louder and louder as Firnen put more and more weight on the bones. The Riolu struggled wildly, but Kia held him fast.

Finally, the bones snapped. The Riolu let out a piercing wail before giving a great shudder and going still.

"Alright. Let us return home, shall we?" Formora grinned at her teammates, who grinned back.

"Get up," Firnen ordered, nudging the Riolu with his foot.

The Riolu stirred, and Kia let him stand. They told him that if he tried to run they _would_ tie his wrists behind him, broken arm or no. Nevertheless, the Riolu was smart enough to agree.

Formora led the way, and Kia and Firnen kept a close eye on their prisoner as they led him out of the dungeon, and east, to home.

* * *

After a while, the Riolu surprised all three of them by flinging himself down a ravine. The idiot miscalculated the length of the drop, though, and after five seconds the trio heard a sickening _crunch_ and an earsplitting scream.

Calm as the ocean, they casually picked their way down the ravine and surrounded their captive, whose right ankle was bent the wrong way. He wept pitifully.

"Hm. That's gotta hurt," Formora frowned, putting her hands on her hips. She then slapped him as hard as she could.

"Idiot! Now you'll pay the price," she growled, grabbing him and forcing him to stand. Firnen quickly lashed his wrists together behind him, ignoring his cries for them to _please_ stop.

They then hauled him back up the ravine, and they continued their journey. They made the Riolu walk at a fast pace, too fast for someone contending with a twisted ankle to keep up with. They knew that, of course, which was why they did it. Whenever the Riolu would inevitably falter, they happily prodded him to keep moving with Sonic Boom or Assurance.

"Please, just let me go! My friends, they're waiting for me back home…" the Riolu would whisper occasionally, nothing but despair in his eyes. Formora had to admit, he had some serious inner strength. Not many people could endure miles of walking with a broken ankle and arm.

Oksana would break that strength anyway, though.

"Why are you doing this?" "What did I ever do to you…?" "What do you want with me?"

They ignored all of his pleas and questions.

Eventually, they reached the beach just as the sun was halfway set. Kia towed the three across the channel. They led their prisoner up to the secret dungeon entrance, and called for Oksana. Scraggy arrived instead, saying that Oksana had left for dinner. They handed their captive over to the guard, and set about joining the warden.

They hadn't had a real meal in a couple days, and they were _hungry_.

* * *

"He seriously tried to escape?" Oksana raised an eyebrow once they had settled in.

"Yup. It was hilarious. He misjudged the leap, and ended up with a twisted ankle for it," Formora chuckled, voraciously eating a bowl of spaghetti.

Oksana shook her head in amusement. "Eediot. Good job on finding heem. You haven't meessed anything here. Same old same old."

"So Xerneas and Cresselia weren't home?" Miles asked.

"No, but we did find this at Full Moon Forest," Kia said, handing the ciphered note to the Absol. He glanced at it, then tucked it away.

"I see. I'll have Unown take a look at it tomorrow. She's the best at deciphering messages."

After dinner, Formora, who's spent most of the past four days traveling, didn't want to do anything but take a nice long bath and go to sleep.

So, she did just that.

* * *

 **And so another happy and cheerful post ends. What jolly adventures shall come next?**

 **The next installment shall include: waiting, lifting, and interior decorating.**


	14. Chapter 14

After sleeping outdoors for the past three days, it felt odd to wake up in an actual bed again. She'd just gotten used to sleeping on the ground again. Now she'd have to adjust once more.

Formora got up, said hello to Teysa, and hurried downstairs to breakfast. Unfortunately there was a good-sized line when she arrived at the cafeteria, so she sighed and begrudgingly joined the waiting crowd. A Metang and Honchkrow she'd never seen before got in line behind her.

"Are you two new here? I've never seen you around before," she asked them.

"Hm? Oh, you must be Formora, the Dark Champion. It's an honor to meet you. No, we're not new. We're Team Deviant, and we're Lord Kyurem's disciples. We've come to help him search for a protégée. I'm Metang, and this is Honchkrow. Our leader, Karrablast, is off doing some game show thing or whatever," the Metang explained kindly.

"Yeah, Slig's away on some show too," Hydreigon of Team Draco chimed in from in front of Formora. "I wonder if they're together?"

Formora tuned them out, and focused on waiting for her turn. When it came, she took a huge stack of pancakes from the bar and drowned them in raspberry syrup. She grabbed a glass of apple juice, and went to sit at her spot in the table up front. Kia, Firnen, all of Team Terra, and Miles were already seated. The others must have either been away on a mission, or still asleep.

"Morning Formora. Glad to be back?" Miles greeted her as she took a big bite out of her food.

She swallowed, and shrugged. "I guess. Any progress on the note we found?"

Miles shook his head. "No, not yet. Unown's still busy working on it. But she's confident she'll crack it soon."

"I don't think I've met Unown. What letter is she?" Formora frowned, trying to recall the members of Intel.

"She's shaped like a C. C for 'cipher', as she says. She's a whiz at cracking codes; I'm sure she'll find out what it says soon," Miles assured her.

Soon after he said that, the door to the cafeteria opened, and Kyurem lumbered in, bringing with him his wonderful chilly aura and a pouting green Pokemon. As Kyurem's cold aura washed over everyone, the room gave off a collective shiver.

The Pokemon was tiny, and had a slender green body and narrow transparent wings. She sulked in the corner by Kyurem's table, waiting as he brought food to her.

"Who's that?" Formora asked through a mouthful of pancake.

"C-Celebi, the legendary of t-time travel," Tohoku trembled, but from cold, not fear. The Torterra was doubly vulnerable to ice. "She arrived y-y-yesterday, saying she had been d-defeated by a Shiny Litwick and a Pumpkaboo. Sh-she's staying here until we can find a better pl-place for her to stay at, s-since her home's probably going t-to be invaded by the L-Light soon."

Team Renegade perked up at the news of the elusive duo.

"How did two civilian Pokemon manage to defeat a legendary?" Formora demanded incredulously.

"They had R-Reviver Seeds with them, I'm t-told. Plus, Celebi is w-weak to fire," Miles explained.

"Then let's go get them! Where was she attacked?" Formora shouted, getting up from her seat. Miles placed a paw on her shoulder.

"Not so fast. Celebi already has it covered. She had a friend of hers, Scizor, set up a trap at her home. If those two come knocking, Scizor will be there to greet them. He's too fast for them to catch," he told her.

Formora was loathe to let someone else capture them, but she acquiesced, sitting back down and finishing her food.

* * *

Lord Giratina didn't have anything on tab for today, so Team R were free to do what they wanted. Firnen went off to the weight room while Kia headed back up to his room, leaving Formora all alone. She didn't really have anything to do, so she decided she'd pass some time by doing some training on the second floor.

When she arrived there, however, she was not alone. Gideon and Manectric were there, coaching a Minun who was kicking and punching a practice dummy with ferocious might. Formora felt her spirits sink. She preferred to practice alone; she felt awkward when she was practicing with other Pokemon in the room. And who was that Minun, anyway? There were too many new faces today.

She came over, silently watching as the Minun delivered a solid uppercut to the dummy's chin. The dummy fell backwards with a dull thud.

"Not bad," Formora said, making everyone jump.

The trio turned to face her, and the Minun flashed her a smile. "Thanks! I try."

"Oh, hello Formora!" Manectric beamed at her. Then, to the Minun, "That's Formora, the one I was talking about earlier."

"You were talking about me?" Formora asked, feeling uneasy.

"I was just telling Kay here how naturally adept at fighting you are. Nothing bad, I promise," Manectric reassured.

The Minun walked up to her, holding a stubby hand out. "It's nice to meet you! I've heard a lot about the Dark Champion. I'm Kay. I joined the Dark a couple days ago."

"Why so?" Formora asked.

Kay's face grew hard. "Because there is no justice in this world we live in."

Amen to that. Formora nodded in satisfaction, and turned to go.

"You're not staying to practice?" Manectric called out behind her.

"Not today; I think I might take it easy," Formora said without turning.

"Gotcha. Well, see you around!"

As Formora stepped out of the room, Troja and Marvel burst into view, dragging Cate behind them. The duo threw her into the practice room, telling her, "You made us get kicked out of Plain Plains! You're not allowed out until you learn to fight!"

Formora hurried onward, not wanting to get involved. When she reached the stairs, she paused. Now what would she do? Kia was off doing whatever, and Firnen was in the gym.

Come to think of it, she'd never really been in the gym before.

Her mind made up, she went downstairs, walking down the hallway to the right of the front entrance until she reached the weight room. When she opened the door, she saw a plethora of strange machines that looked like they belonged in the dungeon instead. What the hell _was_ this place?

At least Firnen was the only one inside. He was busy doing chin-ups in the far corner. The walls were mostly comprised of mirrors, and Firnen, though facing away from her, saw her enter. He nodded to her reflection briefly.

"What's the point of doing that?" Formora asked him, coming to stand next to him as he continued to do the strange exercise.

"Fraxures...all about physical strength…" Firnen grunted in between reps. "I'm building up muscles…"

"What are you strengthening?" she inquired, intrigued. She could get behind this, if it meant becoming stronger.

"Mostly arms...this strengthens biceps...and latissimus dorsi," Firnen explained, jumping down from the bar. He grabbed a nearby towel and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Whassup?" he asked casually when he was done.

"I'm bored. What are these strange machines?" Formora asked, gesturing around the room.

"They help you get stronger. Each one is designed to strengthen specific muscles. Like the cable lat pulldown," Firnen explained, pointing to a machine that was sort of shaped like a backwards F. There was a seat, and above the seat was a horizontal bar.

Firnen grabbed the bar, and sat down. The bar came with him, suspended by a cable. Firnen did pull-ups with the bar while he sat down. "This one is meant to work out your lats and trapezius. And the leg press—"

He went over to a machine that looked like an L at a 45-degree angle. He put two circles on a bar near the top of the machine, and sat down. He put his legs on a plate under the bar, and began pushing the plate up and down with his legs.

"—works out your leg muscles." he gently got off the machine.

"Huh," was all Formora could say. "What are those circles for?"

"They're weights; you can add them onto the machines to make it harder for you to do a set," Firnen explained kindly.

"This all seems strange to me, but if it makes you stronger I'm willing to give it a shot," Formora said slowly. "What should I do?"

"Hmm...Seeing as you only have arm muscles, I suggest you work on those," Firnen advised.

Formora pointed to a large bench with a long bar on top of it. "What about that?"

"The bench press? Hmm, I guess you could do that. It mostly works out your pecs, but it also strengthens your triceps too," Firnen mused.

"I want to try it! How does it work?" Formora said eagerly.

Firnen chuckled. "Alright, alright. You lay down here…"

* * *

With Firnen's guidance and explanations, Formora spent her morning working out in the weight room. She could only use machines that worked her arm muscles, and by the time she was ready to call it quits her arms were sore and tired. But she was thrilled. She could feel herself be much stronger than before, and that pleased her to no end. She said goodbye to Firnen, and entered the cafeteria. She'd worked up quite an appetite, and she would love nothing more than to rest on the beach as she ate.

She grabbed a basket, and filled it with sandwiches and chips. She took along a bottle of water as well, and merrily made her way down the mountain and to the beach.

However, she wasn't alone. Kia was there at the shore, an easel in front of him and a palette in one of his hands. He seemed to be engrossed in his work.

"Having fun?" she made sure to startle him when he was putting more paint onto his brush and not when he was actually painting.

"Formora! You startled me!" he exclaimed as she came over.

"Sorry. I didn't know you liked to paint," she apologized, looking at his work. He was painting a picture of the shoreline in front of him, it appeared. It was a very impressive picture, almost lifelike. It looked like at any moment the waves on the canvas would crash onto shore. He was pretty good, she had to admit.

"Ah, that. It's a little hobby of mine. I'm okay at it, I suppose," Kia shrugged modestly as he added a few shells to the beach. "What brings you here?"

Formora held up her basket in response.

"It's certainly a nice day for a picnic at the beach. I'm almost complete; I shan't be in your way for much longer," Kia replied.

"Take your time," Formora said as she sat down and took out a sandwich.

She ate her lunch in silence, switching between watching Kia paint and watching the waves roll gently across the channel. True to his word, Kia finished his painting and bid Formora adieu, leaving her alone to finish her meal.

She finished lunch, and slowly made her way back up the mountain and into the base. She returned the basket, and paused.

Now what would she do? She still had five hours until dinner, and she had absolutely no idea how she'd pass the time until then. As she stood there, fingering her Froslass Bow, an idea came to her.

With new purpose, she hurried up the stairs to the second floor, where she eagerly entered the Intel room. Miles was busy talking to Shinx, while an Unown shaped like a C sat at a table, staring intently at the note found at Full Moon Forest. All three looked up when she arrived.

"Formora! What brings you here?" Miles exclaimed.

Formora ignored him and turned to Unown. "You decode it yet?"

"Beep," Unown said sadly, shaking her head. Somehow, Formora understood what she said.

"Well when do you think you will?"

"Beep."

"What do you mean, 'A few more hours'?! I need answers now!" Formora raged.

Miles stepped in quickly. "You know, Formora, I believe your furniture has arrived. It's up in your room right now."

Formora calmed down. Here was something she could do.

"Thanks," she said curtly as she turned and headed up to her room.

"Hello Lady Formora. Packages arrived for you," Teysa greeted her.

"I know. Help me unbox them," Formora ordered.

Two two took out the furniture, and Teysa and Orzhova—who had been sleeping soundly—moved the furniture to where Formora wished it to go.

Eventually, after much thought, the desk went directly underneath the window in her room, the dresser went in between the desk and her bed, the loveseat went to the space between her bed and the door to the living room, and the painting of Frigid Tundra went directly above the loveseat.

In the living room, Formora had the shelves installed opposite her vanity, the coffee table put in front of the fireplace, and the glass snowflake on top of one of the shelves.

Her room was somewhat more personalized now, but it still looked rather bare. It was a good start for now, at least.

Orzhova went back to bed, and Formora sat in her new loveseat, rubbing her Froslass Bow, wondering what she'd do now. The whole endeavor had taken only an hour, much to her disappointment.

Maybe Oksana would be doing something interesting today.

It was just as well she didn't have legs anymore, Formora thought as she once again traveled down to the first floor. With all the stair climbing she'd done today, her legs would've turned to mush by now.

She walked past the weight room, past the infirmary, past the trampoline/ball pit room, and opened the creaky steel door and descended into the dungeon.

Seviper met her, and directed her to a room on the first sub-floor, where Oksana was patiently watching a Shiny Azurill through a mirror.

"Oh, hello Formora," the Eelektross greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"What are you doing?" Formora asked in response, gesturing to the Azurill.

His tail was tied tightly around an iron ring set deep into the concrete cell. Next to him was a serrated knife. On a tray near the door were three pitchers of water. The prisoner looked awful; his skin was dry and cracked, and there was a confused look in his desperate eyes, like he wasn't quite all there. He tugged feebly at his tail, trying to get to the water jugs.

But he could not.

He kept looking at the knife, then at his tail, to the water, and back at the knife.

"For three days I've weethheld water from heem. Eef he does not drink soon, he weell die. And he knows that. So, I've tied hees tail to that ring, and gave heem a knife. Eef he _really_ wants that water, then he'll do whatever eet takes to get eet. Even cut off hees own tail. I'm watching to see what he does. Eef he does eet, then I'll treat hees wounds and let heem leeve so he can forever think about what he deed to heemself. Care to join me?" Oksana explained.

"Sure," Formora shrugged as she stood next to the warden, watching the Azurill get slowly and slowly more desperate. "How does he not see us?"

"Thees ees a two-way mirror; we can see heem but he can't see us."

The two watched the captive as he spent more time looking at the knife. His breaths became more ragged, and a choked sob escaped his cracked lips. He stared at the water for a long time, then with a cry he took the knife handle in his mouth.

Oksana stirred eagerly. "Oooooh!"

The Azurill steeled himself as he bent over to put the sharp edge of the knife against his tail.

He began sawing.

Formora watched with morbid fascination.

The Azurill stopped twice, pausing to weep loudly. He was so dehydrated, no tears came from his eyes. Ragged sobs came from between his teeth as he took the knife again and resumed his grisly task.

His tail was only a couple centimeters thick, so it did not take him too long to finish the bloody deed. Finally, he completely severed his tail in half, blood gushing like a hose from the two jagged stumps.

The Azurill did not seem to notice, as with a cry he spat out the knife and crawled desperately to the pitchers of water. He downed all three of them in less than a minute.

Finally, when he was finished, he seemed to realize what he had done. He sat against a wall, putting a foot over his wound to try and stop the bleeding, crying loudly.

Oksana was jumping with joy, clapping her hands. "He deed eet! He deed eet!"

Formora turned away, awed by how far Pokemon were willing to go just to live. They'd permanently maim themselves for water, if they were desperate enough?

Interesting.

Oksana was already calling for Scraggy. "Send that one up to Chansey."

"Why?" Formora asked.

"I want heem to leeve, now that he deed what I hoped he'd do. I want heem to remember thees moment for the rest of hees patheteec leettle life," Oksana said with malicious relish, exiting the room.

"I see. What else are you doing today?" Formora asked, following her.

For the rest of the day, Formora assisted Oksana in torturing her 'tenants'. She laid white-hot irons on a Bulbasaur, blinded a Shiny Spinarak, and cut off two of a Shiny Blastoise's toes.

* * *

By the time Oksana called it quits for today, Formora was spattered in blood and _very_ unwilling to stop. It was one thing watching other people hurt others, but to do it yourself was a completely different thing. A part of Formora secretly wished that Unown would delay in her decoding, so Formora could have some more fun tomorrow.

Oksana led Formora to a shower room near the dungeon's exit to the main base. She turned a knob, and hot water came out of a small spigot in the ceiling. She kindly turned on the cold water for Formora on another shower head.

It was strange, but Formora actually enjoyed feeling the cold water rush down her back. It was so soothing, especially since it was summer and the dungeon had no air conditioning. It was pure heaven.

The two women washed the blood off of them, dried off, and went to dinner.

Miles hailed her when she arrived at their table.

"Formora! Good news! Unown decoded the note!"

Formora raised her eyebrows. "What does it say?"

"Yeah, tell us!" Firnen agreed through a mouthful of salad.

"'Lunar Wind: X and I can no longer meet here. Meet us in three days at Lavish Woodlands instead.'" Miles recited.

Kia was already unfolding their map.

"Lavish Woodlands is a few miles north of the Deadlands. It's 13 floors, and not terribly strong. Lord Giratina wishes that you three set out immediately tomorrow morning. I got a vision soon after Unown decoded it. I know for certain Xerneas will be there tomorrow, but I don't know if anyone else will. The vision lasted for only a moment," Miles explained, pointing to a small group of trees marked near the infamous Deadlands.

Formora nodded, already eager to sink her fist into Xerneas' face. A worthy opponent (possibly multiple opponents) awaited her tomorrow. Her fingers itched to go, to strike.

"Thank you," Formora said sincerely, staring at the map.

There wasn't anything going on after dinner, and once more Formora didn't quite know what she'd do to pass the time. She realized she'd never tried out the trampoline/ball pit room before. But that was because such silliness was beneath her.

Well...maybe this once she could be (ugh) _silly_.

As she walked to that room, she stared straight ahead, not meeting anyone's eyes, as if they could sense where she was going and the ludicrousness behind that idea.

Thankfully, no one called her out on it, and she quickly entered the room before anyone could see her. To her relief, she was alone. She could never do this if anyone was watching.

The room was simple enough. A trampoline net lined every corner of the room except for the center, where a deep tub of balls sat. It seemed one could safely jump from the edge of the trampoline into the ball pit if anyone were idiotic enough to do so.

Why was she doing this again?

 _Just get it over with, Formora,_ she thought.

But she did not have legs, so how was she to do this?

She thought for a moment, and then threw herself down onto the net below. She landed solidly, the net catapulting her into the air. She had only a brief moment to collect her thoughts before she was falling back down, onto the net, where it bounced her back up into the air.

For a few seconds she bounced like that, until she lost her momentum and eventually ceased bouncing.

She blinked. That had been...kinda fun actually.

She swiftly threw herself down onto the net, letting out a giggle when she was tossed into the air.

Getting into the swing of things, she bounced all around the room, enjoying the feel of falling. Once, while she was midair, she flipped upside down, and landed gently on her outstretched hands. She did a cartwheel as she landed, laughing joyfully. She could not remember the last time (if she ever had) let herself just have plain old _fun_.

She bounced around some more, until out of the corner of her eye she saw the door open.

Quickly, she ceased her bouncing as Shinx and Bonsly came in. They locked eyes with one another.

"Hi Formora. Are you jumping on the trampoline?" Shinx said kindly. Formora stood up quickly, feeling herself blush.

"No," she said hotly, blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Then what are you doing in here?" Bonsly asked, tilting his head.

"None of your business!" Formora snapped, pushing past them and stalking straight up to her room.

She ignored Teysa's startled greeting, and slammed her bedroom door shut.

She did not come out for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **The legendary of life (and maybe others) await our protagonist! Oh boy!**

 **The words to describe the next post would be: Flowering Night**


	15. Chapter 15

Formora wasted no time in preparing for today. When she woke, she went swiftly down to the cafeteria, intending on grabbing a quick meal before setting off on their mission.

Luck was with her this morning, as there were hardly any Pokemon waiting in line when she arrived. She took a bowl of cereal and a banana to her table, digging in voraciously as soon as she had sat down.

Kia and Firnen joined her soon after, and they too carried light meals on their trays. The trio finished breakfast in only seven minutes.

They left the cafeteria just as more Pokemon began to arrive. They headed across the hall, down into Dungeon Alley.

Formora did not see any reason to take money with them, so they ignored the bank and instead focused on the markets. They could only carry 16 items with them, and thankfully they had most of the supplies they needed in storage. They bought a couple apples, and after much deliberation they filled their pack with: three apples, three Oran berries, two Blast Seeds, a Heal Seed, the mirror they used in case Lord Giratina wished to contact them, the Bypass Stone, and an Escape Orb. They kept the remaining four spaces open in case they found something in the dungeon that they needed. And of course, Team Renegade wore their Froslass Bow, Vibra Scarf, and Royal Silk.

With their pack ready, they set out immediately.

Kia towed Formora and Firnen across the channel that separated their island from the mainland. After that, they hurried northeast, to where Lavish Woodlands lay. At around ten they came to the lifeless wasteland that marked the beginning of the Deadlands. Only a few brave flowers grew near the dull, dirt plain that forbade anything from growing on it. The soil was dreadfully poisoned from the aftermath of extensive mining in the region in times past, and nothing would ever grow here again.

Thankfully, Team R were well away from the toxic air that wafted near the entrance to the dungeon. They would not have to worry about their health, travelling this far away from the lethal heart of the Deadlands. Still, they made sure to keep well away from the border, as if the border itself would end their lives in an instant, like so many other things in the Deadlands did.

Eventually, around noon, they reached Lavish Woodlands.

* * *

 **Lavish Woodlands ( watch?v=oKaKeQ7ienM)**

A well-trod dirt path led through a shaded grove into the dungeon. The leafy oak trees lining the path shielded the trio from the sun, creating a tunnel-like shape. Flowers neatly lined the path, until they too disappeared into the shadow of the entrance.

Formora didn't really care about any of this, and they had barely arrived when she was already walking into the shadows.

 **B1F**

A crisp summer breeze was blowing through the area. Thick trees made up the walls here, growing so closely together it was impossible for anyone to squeeze through them. The ground was littered with flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors. It was impossible to see the earth underneath all of the flora.

A tiny daffodil caught Formora's eye. Right before her eyes it grew at an impossibly fast rate, until it reached its adult height.

Yup, Xerneas was here all right.

"He's here, just like Miles said he would. Let's go," she said, not waiting for a response as she hurried down the western path.

This dungeon held short halls that led to tiny chambers. Unfortunately, this meant there were a _lot_ of rooms and hallways to go through.

Eventually, the trio came across a male Combee entering the room they were in from an adjacent hall.

Formora smiled lazily. Bugs were no problem for her.

The Combee began emitting a Sweet Scent, flooding the room with a pleasant pink mist. The mist, when Formora inhaled it, made her involuntarily relax. It slowed her down, made her reflexes more sluggish.

Still, the pink mist didn't stop her from tossing an Ice Beam its way. The cocky thing was so sure it had incapacitated her it was not expecting her to still have her wits about her. With a cry it soared through the air, narrowly avoiding a Sonic Boom from Kia, who had been slowed down by the Sweet Scent to properly hit it.

The Combee crashed against the far wall, and dazedly it fell to the floor, nestled in between some daisies. Firnen picked it up, and bathed it in his Dragon Rage. When the flames died down, the Combee was nowhere to be seen.

As the trio left the Sweet Scent-saturated room, their minds cleared, until the effects of the attack had completely dissipated. Soon, they found the Stairs leading down to the next floor.

 **B2F**

The next floor was full of tiny rooms and short halls as well. After a solid five minutes of going in circles, the trio finally found a room they'd never been in before. They knew this because there was a glittery One-Shot Orb lying on top of a patch of Jigglypuff-pink roses.

"If only we could use this on Xerneas. It'd certainly save us some time," Formora sighed wistfully, giving the Orb to Kia, who held the bag.

Alas, though, Wonder Orbs could not be used during boss battles. But perhaps they could use the Orb on some other, future enemy.

Like the Light's Chosen, perhaps.

That thought was pleasant, and comforted Formora for the rest of the floor.

 **B3F**

A Bulbasaur had spawned with them, and the insignificant Pokemon had the dumbest notion that it could defeat all three of them.

It began by throwing Razor-sharp Leaves from its bulb at Kia, who was closest to it. The cunning Vibrava countered with Dragon Breath, roasting the leaves to ashes and scorching the Bulbasaur's left flank. It cried out, jumping backwards in pain.

It was wily enough to evade the swipe of Firnen's outstretched claws, elongated into Dragon Claw. But it failed to register Formora's Powder Snow, and with another shout it was knocked onto its side.

Firnen swiftly snatched it up, holding it tightly so that it couldn't wiggle free. Growling, the Bulbasaur responded by emitting a wave of green spores right in the Fraxure's face.

His eyes widened, and he dropped the Bulbasaur. Then he too dropped to the ground, fast asleep.

"Sleep Powder," Kia said in disgust as he avenged Firnen with another Dragon Breath. The Bulbasaur disappeared without a word, and Formora and Kia were forced to wait until Firnen woke up.

Thankfully, he woke up a few moments later, and they traveled north, After a few more rooms and halls, they found the Stairs, guarded by a sleeping Paras.

They tiptoed past it, and descended.

 **B4F**

To Formora's delight, the Stairs were right in front of her.

 **B5F**

While heading east, the trio ran into a Gloom in a narrow hall. To speed up this cramped fight, Formora phased into the trees beside her, so that her teammates could assist her. The Gloom sprayed Sleep Powder all around Kia, but his Vibra Scarf prevented him from going to sleep.

"Idiot," Kia snorted as he blasted the confused Gloom with Dragon Breath. Formora was quick to follow up with Ice Beam, and soon they did not have to worry about the Gloom anymore.

However, they weren't out of the woods yet. A Petilil was stepping up to take the Gloom's place.

Fine by Formora. She threw a Shadow Ball at it, but it surprised her by leaping away. It appeared it was aware of the Froslass in the trees. It sent out a wave of orange spores, paralyzing Kia when they made contact with him.

With Kia incapacitated on the ground, Firnen, who was bringing up the rear, could not attack the Petilil. It was up to Formora now.

Angered, she slammed into the Petilil with a cry, her Astonish sending straight into the wall opposite her. Before it could recover, Formora grabbed it, and slammed the side of her hand on the back its neck, right where the brainstem met the spinal cord.

It disappeared instantly, and Formora waited patiently until Kia's paralysis wore off. When he could move again, they pressed on.

After a while, they entered a chamber that held both an Oran Berry and a Beautifly. While Kia went to collect the berry, Formora and Firnen dealt with the Beautifly.

The flying foe sent powerful blasts of air at Formora. She was unable to evade the Air Cutter, and she shielded her face from the blasts with her arms, scowling as her torso was struck.

She retaliated with Ice Beam, but the foe easily dodged by flying out of the way. However, it fell victim to Firnen's Dragon Claw, and he viciously slammed it down to the ground.

He stood on its wings so that it could not fly off. Screeching, the Beautifly struggled to escape the Fraxure. But Firnen was stronger, and it only took one more Dragon Claw and an Ice Beam to defeat it.

With that out of the way, they moved on, and soon found the Stairs.

 **B6F**

As the trio wandered down an extra-long hallway, a thought came to Formora.

"Which legendaries are on our side?" she asked as she swiftly took down an upstart Combee that thought it could defeat them.

"Let's see...Giratina and Yveltal, obviously...Entei, Suicune, Raikou, Groudon, Rayquaza, Jirachi, Keldeo, Celebi, Zekrom, Mewtwo, Heatran," Kia began.

"The Regis and Deoxys," Firnen added helpfully.

"Yes, them. Virizion, Terrakion, Thundurus, Landorus, Tornadus, Kyurem, Latias, Latios, Diancie, and Genesect," Kia finished.

"The others are either neutral or on the enemy side," Firnen agreed.

"Who are neutral?" Formora asked, curious to know.

"Technically Dialga and Palkia are neutral right now, because they've been driven to insanity. Darkrai has declared neutrality, I believe," Kia mused.

"The Lake Trio are neutral, and so are Ho-Oh and Lugia. Victini's declared neutrality, though it's honestly just a front. We all know she's pro-Light. Let's see, Zygarde only cares about the environment, so she hasn't picked a side. Lord Solgaleo and Lady Lunala are the last two neutral legendaries," Firnen continued.

"'Lord Solgaleo and Lady Lunala'? Why do you call them by those titles?" Formora raised an eyebrow, turning back to briefly look at the men.

"We've met them both before. We respect them," Firnen explained.

Now Formora fully turned to face them. "You _met_ two neutral legendaries? How? Why?"

"Sealed Abyss is close to the Palace of the Moon, where Lady Lunala holds court. Lord Yveltal often had us go there as emissaries. To make sure that she was still neutral, of course. She always welcomed our visits, and although she declined joining our cause she never accepted the Light side either. Lord Solgaleo is the same. Yveltal soon has us travelling to the east coast here to Sun-Drenched Temple, to ensure Lord Solgaleo's neutrality as well," Kia informed her.

"Huh…" Formora said thoughtfully. "What have they done, then, to warrant titles from you two?"

"They both have the air and grace of rulers. Lord Solgaleo has a certain aura that _makes_ you respect his authority. You can't _not_ be aware of his powerful presence. But he is as wise as he is noble. He does not waste words, and expects you to listen to him. ...If he were to join the side of Light, it would tip the scales against us, I'm afraid," Kia explained.

"As for Lady Lunala...She too has that noble aura around her. She expects her every order to be obeyed, and does not take well to insubordination or disrespect. But she is fair, and is more open-minded than Solgaleo. She can cut right to the heart of a problem in only a few words, and I've never seen her lose a debate. Were the Dark to have her as an advisor…." Firnen sighed in bliss.

"I see. So everyone else is on the Light side, then?" Formora surmised. She began walking again.

"Yep. Stupid little Magearna _says_ she's neutral, but she was entrusted the map to Decrepit Ruins, and the Nether Veil. She's not fooling anyone," Firnen barked out a laugh.

"Decrepit Ruins? The Nether Veil?" Formora echoed.

"Ah. See, there exists an item named the Nether Veil. It causes attacking Pokemon to be ensnared within it, like a net, leaving them completely vulnerable. However, the Veil only works when Giratina and Giratina _only_ dons it. When our lord was first sealed away, Arceus hid the Veil deep inside a dungeon named Decrepit Ruins, and disguised the dungeon from being found. However, should someone It trusted need the Veil, It created a map that showed the location of the Ruins, as well as the conditions required to reveal the Nether Veil. When Giratina broke free of his prison, Arceus entrusted the map to a legendary named Magearna. 'Make sure the Dark do not find this,' It told her. And so, Magearna went deep into hiding, and not a soul on this planet knows where she might be, for she did not tell anyone—even Cresselia and Xerneas—where she would hide. If we could find her and get that map, the Light wouldn't stand a chance!" Kia narrated as the trio continued through the dungeon, pausing only when a foe appeared.

Formora smiled, partly because they had found the room with the Stairs. If Magearna was hiding like a coward...Well, Formora would be the one to find her!

 **B7F**

The first hall they went down was clogged with a Bulbasaur and Paras. Formora took to the walls, annoyed at this delay. The Bulbasaur tried to send Kia to sleep with Sleep Powder, but his Vibra Scarf protected him. He punished the Bulbasaur for its stupidity with Feint Attack. Firnen vaulted over the Vibrava, smacking the Bulbasaur across the face with Assurance.

The foe spun around a few times due to the force of the blow. Formora finished it off with Astonish. With a cry, she launched herself at the Bulbasaur, sending it flying into a tree trunk. It vanished, leaving only the Paras.

The Paras looked at her, and began releasing purple spores into the air around her. She was too slow to return to the walls, and the Poison Powder entered her system.

Almost immediately, she felt her belly seize up in knots. Nausea hit her like a brick, and she weakly reentered the walls, gesturing for Kia to hand her the Heal Seed before she succumbed to the poison.

He fell back, allowing Firnen to deal with the Paras as he gave Formora the Heal Seed. She downed it in one gulp, breathing a sigh of relief as she felt her illness dissipate.

She turned back to the Paras just in time to watch as Firnen fell asleep, courtesy of the foe's Spore.

"Enough," she growled, blasting the Paras with Ice Beam. It squeaked in surprise, shaking off the pain. Before it could respond, Kia engulfed it in his Dragon Breath.

Surprisingly, the foe disappeared, and they settled down to wait for Firnen to wake up.

They encountered a Beautifly a few minutes later. Beyond it, Formora could see the Stairs in the next room. She disappeared into the trees, allowing her allies to help her. The quicker this battle ended, the quicker they could move on.

Kia took to the sky, and launched a Sonic Boom at the foe. It flew back a few feet, but shook off the blow. It then released the all-too-familiar Stun Spore, paralysing Kia once more. Firnen hung back, avoiding the spores. He gently stepped over the immobile Kia, and raked the Beautifly's face with his Dragon Claw. The foe screamed, and while it wailed Formora nailed it with Ice Beam.

But the Beautifly still had one more trick up its sleeve. It began glowing white, absorbing sunlight.

"Morning Sun! Don't you dare!" Formora hissed, lunging for the flying enemy. As it used the sun to regenerate, she blasted it point-blank with another Ice Beam.

As it was still in the middle of healing itself, the foe was unable to endure. It fainted without a word, and a tired-but-satisfied Formora stalked to the Stairs.

 **B8F**

After that last floor with all its status effects, Formora was relieved to see that the Stairs were here with them when they spawned.

 **B9F**

When Formora and her teammates arrived, they took one look at the sight in front of them and laughed.

The Stairs were here with them again, twice in a row.

 **B10F**

Alas, it was not to be three in a row.

Formora led the duo south, and south again when they came to their first chamber. When they could go no further in that direction, they turned east, and soon came upon a room with an Invisify Orb in it.

Formora went over to the shiny, transparent sphere. She picked it up, weighing it in her hand.

"This could be useful at some point," she said slowly, thinking it over. An Invisify Orb would allow them to ambush their enemies more effectively.

"I concur," Kia agreed, and Formora handed the Orb to him. He put it away, and they got moving again.

"We should probably discuss our battle strategy. We've no idea how many Pokemon we'll have to face. It could be just Xerneas, or it could be a plethora of Light legendaries!" Kia continued.

"If we have to fight more than just Cresselia and Xerneas, we're leaving. We're strong, but I don't know if we can take that many Pokemon on at one time. We'll return with our own forces if that's the case. Otherwise, we're staying until the bitter end. Cresselia's a psychic-type, right? Then my ghost-type moves and your dark-type moves will do some serious damage to her," Formora plotted.

"But Xerneas is a fairy-type. And his Ability is Fairy Aura, which powers up his fairy-type attacks. Meaning, Kia and I are at a severe disadvantage," Firnen said darkly.

"Hm, there's not much that can be done about that, unfortunately. You two will just have to be careful to avoid his attacks," Formora shrugged.

When they came upon the Stairs, they swiftly descended.

 **B11F**

Right into the arms of a Paras. It instinctively released Spores all around the area. Formora and Firnen were sent straight into dreamland.

She felt a few blows hit her while she slept, but when she woke the Paras had disappeared, and Kia was now fighting a Combee.

"Beat the Paras, this one arrived," Kia shouted at her, noticing that she was awake again.

He evaded a Gust from the female Combee, and retaliated with Sonic Boom. The Combee flew right into Formora's waiting Ice Beam, and the Tiny Bee Pokemon disappeared without a trace.

Firnen woke not two seconds after, and Formora led them east, chewing on an Oran Berry, and then an apple.

They found 194 Poké at one point, and as they left that room they ran straight into a Gloom and Bulbasaur.

Formora entered the walls, tossing a Powder Snow at the Gloom as she did so. The Gloom's subsequent cry made her smile. She turned around to see Kia and Firnen pummeling the Gloom with a combined Dragon Breath and Dragon Rage. Unable to withstand the attack, the Gloom fainted, leaving behind the Bulbasaur.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't as easily cowed as the Gloom. It slammed right into Firnen's gut with Take Down. He let out a guttural "Oof!" as he was thrown back. Kia swooped in, grabbing the Bulbasaur in all four of his arms. He threw it high up into the air, where it was helpless. As gravity took effect, Formora sniped it with Ice Beam.

Kia followed suit with an extra-powerful Dragon Breath, and the Bulbasaur vanished before it even hit the ground.

After a few minutes of wandering, the trio eventually discovered the Stairs.

 **B12F**

It took them twenty minutes to find the Stairs. It seemed like they'd gone through hundred of chambers and foes, until at long long last they found what they were searching for.

Only problem was, a fierce-looking Petilil was guarding it.

Normally Formora wouldn't have minded, but she was antsy to engage Xerneas.

"Distract it," she muttered to her teammates.

They nodded, and rushed to meet the tiny little grass-type. Said grass-type began by shooting colorful, Magical Leaves at Kia, who evaded the attack. Only, the leaves turned mid-flight and zoomed back towards him, lacerating his tail.

As the dragons dueled, Formora raced past them and jumped on the Stairs. Not even sparing a glance behind her, she scrambled down to the next floor.

 **B13F**

Something had been niggling at the back of Formora's mind for a while now. Finally, on this final floor, she realized what was bothering her.

This was all _too_ easy. Cresselia had told her that nothing awaited at the end of Full Moon Forest, but the lunar legendary had not tried very hard to dissuade her. And that note…

"How long has this war been going on?" she piped up out of the blue, startling her teammates as they rounded a corner, straight into the arms of a Gloom.

Once the foe was vanquished, Kia replied, "A few years. Not quite a decade."

Formora nodded slowly, her fears confirmed. "Then the Light has had ample time to learn of our resources."

"What do you mean?" Firnen asked.

"By now, Cresselia and Xerneas would be aware of Unown's talent with ciphers. And Cresselia just _happened_ to leave an encrypted note she knew we would find," Formora frowned.

"You believe we're walking into a trap?" Kia guessed the direction of her thoughts.

She nodded. "These past few days seem a bit too coincidental to me, is all."

"Should we turn back, then?" Firnen suggested as Kia took out their Escape Orb.

Formora shook her head. "No. We came here with a mission to complete. We're not cowards, to turn away at the first hint of danger. We'll tread cautiously when we get to the end of the dungeon. We have that Invisify Orb, right? As soon as we arrive, break the Orb. That way, we can scope out the scene before the enemy even knows we're there. We'll assess the situation and go from there."

"As you wish, Lady Formora," Kia bowed. Firnen only nodded and crossed his arms.

When they came to the Stairs, Kia held the Invisify Orb at the ready.

Then, they descended.

 **Lavish Clearing**

The moment they reached the end of the dungeon, Kia broke their Invisify Orb, causing the trio to vanish without a trace.

Unseen to all but each other, they stealthily crept forward, wary for any signs of an ambush.

The clearing was open to the sky, and completely covered in colorful flowers. They seemed to be on a hill, as Formora could see the countryside far below. There was absolutely no way anyone could ambush them.

Because their enemy was already here.

In the center of the clearing, a blue cervine Pokemon sat lazily in the sun, sniffing the breeze as he relaxed in the early afternoon air. His back legs were black, and he had a forest of light blue antlers, making him look sort of shaped like an X.

Xerneas.

He looked up as the trio tiptoed closer to him.

"And here I was just about to take my afternoon nap," he grumbled, getting to his feet. Beside him, a purple flower blossomed.

He stretched lazily, not a care in the world. "I know you're there. Might as well let that Invisify Orb wear off."

Formora was shocked; how did he know they were there?! Did he have the power to see invisible Pokemon?!

"I can see your weight crushing the grass below you," Xerneas added, gesturing to where Firnen stood. Indeed, the grass below him was slightly trampled.

Formora scowled, and gestured for her teammates to allow the invisible effect wear off.

"Oh, there you are! Sup?" Xerneas exclaimed when the trio reappeared.

Formora crossed her arms. "You're Xerneas." It wasn't a question. "Where are Cresselia and the Lunar Wind?"

"Hmph, getting right to the point, are we? They're not here. See, I hate to disappoint you three, but you _kiiiinda sorta maybe_ walked into a trap," Xerneas said lightly.

"I don't see a trap," Formora observed. "All I see is a legendary who's about to get his butt kicked."

Xerneas' eyes lit up. "Ooooh, feisty! I like you, girl. Do we _really_ have to fight?"

"Yes, we do. Unless you want to come quietly?" Kia offered, spreading his wings menacingly.

"Nah. If I were afraid of two dragons and an ice girl, I'd be as spineless as Giratina," Xerneas declined conversationally.

Team Renegade bristled at that blasphemous statement.

"You have no idea how much agony you'll be in for that sentence," Formora growled, preparing a Shadow Ball in her right hand.

"Not half as much as you three will be in...Mm, I'd give it five seconds," Xerneas laughed back. He neatly evaded the Shadow Ball Formora chucked at him.

"Ooh! Touchy today, aren't we?"

 **Boss Battle! ( watch?v=MA3UERL4Phw)**

"That's it, I'm breaking all of his legs. And his antlers," Formora growled, tossing an Ice Beam at the still-laughing upstart legendary.

He leaped high into the air, effectively dodging the icy blast. He landed gracefully, the very picture of elegance.

"Just stop it already! Surrender!" Firnen demanded, sprinting towards Xerneas, his right hand raised for Assurance.

Xerneas stepped to the side, and sent Firnen bowling back across the flower field with a powerful ram of his antlers. Kia swooped in close, sending a Sonic Boom Xerneas' way.

But the wily legendary jumped backwards, causing the attack to land harmlessly in the dirt. While the males were busy with this charade, Formora crept up behind Xerneas.

"Enough playtime, boys," she said, successfully nailing Xerneas in the flank with Shadow Ball. He stumbled for a moment, but didn't fall.

"It's always fun until someone gets hurt," he joked, righting himself.

"Indeed," Formora agreed as she threw another one at him.

He leaped into the air, his antlers glowing a bright white. He came down upon Formora, who was unable to get out of the way in time.

The force of his Megahorn sent her face-first into the dirt. Sheer agony exploded inside of her skull. Every nerve, every _fiber_ of her being was screaming in pain. She momentarily saw black, but managed to stay conscious.

Once her pain receptors started to cease their displeasure, she slowly picked herself off of the ground. Her vision was spinning, and her head felt as light as a cloud. She lightly slapped her cheek, trying to bring her wits back.

"Huh, you survived? Wow! You're not as weak as you look, girl!" Xerneas marveled from a few steps away.

Rage surged through Formora, giving her new strength. With a scowl, she clumsily threw a Shadow Ball at him. But her aim was shaky, and he barely had to move to dodge the attack.

"You missed," he informed.

Then he was slapped ruthlessly across the face by Firnen's Assurance, ever eager to avenge his Champion. Xerneas, in his arrogance, had failed to keep an eye on the two dragon-types. Or perhaps it was because they were dragon-types that he felt no need to watch them.

Whatever his reasons, it would prove to be his downfall. Fairy-type legendary or no, he wasn't invincible.

"Ah, but he hit me!" Xerneas exclaimed as he stumbled backwards a few steps, shaking his head in surprise.

Kia was quick to follow up with Bulldoze.

"Ah he hit me too!" Xerneas shouted as the shockwave produced by the Vibrava knocked him off his feet.

As Xerneas fell, Formora got back to her feet. She was numb with a cold anger. She'd let herself get sloppy; she'd never faced a legendary before, never defeated one.

Well, there was a first for everything.

Xerneas got back to his feet easily as the trio surrounded him. He paused thoughtfully, then nodded.

"I gotta say, you three are fun. We should play a game sometime together; I think it would be a great experience for all of us. Any suggestions?" he asked.

Firnen lunged forward, an Assurance already forming in his hand.

"Oh I _love_ this game!" Xerneas declared happily as he summoned power from the moon. The lunar energy coalesced into a sphere above his head.

Xerneas made the lunar ball of energy slam into Firnen as the Fraxure drew in close. " _TAG~"_

Firnen was instantly thrown deep into the ground, creating a fifteen-foot rut in the earth. Tons of flowers were uprooted, scattered about the area like fallen leaves.

"No tagbacks," Xerneas continued as Kia and Formora went to tend to their comrade.

Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done for Firnen.

In just one hit, one Moonblast, he'd been knocked out cold.

Kia and Formora slowly turned to face Xerneas in horror. How were they ever to defeat this powerhouse of an enemy…?

Xerneas stared back at them pleasantly. "So who's next?"

With a guttural cry, Kia sprinted as fast as he could, slamming solidly into Xerneas with Feint Attack. The blue cervine let out a choked shout as he was dashed to the ground, uprooting more flowers. However, more flowers quickly bloomed, replacing the ones lost.

"Looks like you're feeling rather... _Feint_ ," Formora smiled wickedly.

Kia gave her a confused look. Formora frowned at him, waiting for him to get the joke. Alas, the Vibrava did not.

"I get it!" Xerneas piped up after a moment, getting back to his knees. He shook a couple flowers out of his antlers, and began emitting a faint pink aura. His Ability must have activated.

"Shut it, Xerneas," Formora growled, forming an Ice Beam and throwing it his way.

Like a ballerina, Xerneas jumped away, summoning another Moonblast as he did so. He chucked the ball of lunar energy at Formora, who began to evade.

Unfortunately, the attack grazed her left arm as she was dodging, and with a cry she fell to the ground. It felt like a solid brick wall had smacked into her elbow! She heard a distinct _pop_ , but as she looked around she couldn't find anything that could have made the sound. Had she imagined it?

She tried to move her arm, but the slightest twitch sent a fresh wave of agony cascading through the rest of her body. Tenacious as ever, Formora struggled to stand, taking great care not to aggravate her arm.

After a few minutes, she succeeded, panting heavily and trying her best to keep herself from sobbing. Her arm was _killing_ her. What the hell happened to it?!

Xerneas stood nearby, watching her carefully. Behind him, Kia was stealthily preparing a Bulldoze.

The Life Pokemon began emitting a green waves of energy. They didn't seem to do anything, but Formora was wary still.

"What...what's this?" she asked through gritted teeth, trying to keep the pain out of her voice.

"Geomancy. Raises my special attack and special defense," Xerneas replied good-naturedly. He casually began preparing a Moonblast. "Welp, it's been fun, girl. For me, at least. Not for you. As for you, everyone important to you has been defeated."

"Hey, I'm still consc—" Kia protested as he slammed down on the ground, causing a shockwave that Bulldozed everything.

" _Everyone important,_ " Xerneas repeated empathetically, turning around and throwing the Moonblast at Kia instead.

Both men were hit, but while Xerneas was only briefly stunned by the ground-type attack, Kia was sent careening into the dirt, instantly KO'd just like Firnen.

Leaving only Formora.

Xerneas faced her, and in her good hand she summoned a Shadow Ball. It was difficult, drawing up the energy while staving off immense pain, but Formora _thrived_ on survival.

Shakily, she threw the attack at Xerneas, but to her surprise there were now three of him. And behind him were three Kialandis. The landscape was shifting too. Was an earthquake going on…? No, her vision must be spinning, she realized. The Shadow Ball whizzed right through the leftmost Xerneas, fading harmlessly into the air. The effort of throwing the attack was too great, and just like that Formora was back on the ground.

"Not a doctor, but methinks you should stop now. Kinda obvious I won, doncha think?" The three Xerneases came over to her, and gently tapped her arm.

A white-hot pain shot through her arm, and Formora let out a piercing scream. She convulsed, and everything went black.

As she lay there, unable to do anything but listen and endure her pain, she faintly heard Xerneas speak.

"Welp, that was easy. The Dark Champ's down, and thus our own can succeed. Time to let Cressie know I've arrested….uh-oh. Here comes the cavalry."

All was silent for a few minutes, then Formora felt a wonderfully cold aura wash over her, like a fresh breeze on a hot summer day. The soothing aura lulled her deep into unconsciousness.

* * *

She woke hazily some time later, in a bed she did not recognize. Doubtless she and her team had been arrested and thrown in prison. Because they had lost.

Because _she_ had not been strong enough.

She became aware that there was music playing nearby. Strange, it sounded just like Sorin and Cate and the others. Had they been arrested too…?

Formora's vision returned, and she was startled to find that she was in the infirmary of the Dark compound! Was she dreaming? ...No, she wasn't. She recognized the song that was playing. So Team Renegade hadn't been arrested, then. But how did they get back…?

She realized that her arm wasn't throbbing anymore. Sure it still hurt, but it was nothing compared to the agony she experienced before. She moved it experimentally, and although it sent a twinge of pain through her arm it obeyed.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever was wrong with her arm had been fixed, it seemed. She looked around the room, wondering where her friends and Xerneas were.

No one else was in the room aside from an Azurill with its tail cut off. It was strapped down to the bed it was lying in, preventing it from getting up.

Her eyes widened. This was the Azurill she'd watched maim itself yesterday! ...Or the day before? She'd no idea how much time had passed.

The miserable cretin met her eyes.

"Help me, please…" he croaked pitifully, straining feebly against his restraints.

Formora frowned at him, and shook her head. "Never. Even if I did help you, we've nowhere to hide. And then Oksana would have a _very_ good reason to kill us."

"Please…" the Azurill continued as if he hadn't heard a word she said.

She huffed in annoyance and tuned him out. She was about to get up when the door opened, and Chansey, the nurse, came in.

"Oh, you're awake! Thank goodness," she beamed.

"What happened? How long was I out? Where are Xerneas and my friends? How did I get here?" Formora peppered.

"Shortly after you three left, Giratina sent Kyurem, Celebi, and Team Ascension out after you guys as backup. When they arrived, they found you three unconscious, and your elbow dislocated. Xerneas fled before they arrived, unfortunately, and they were unable to catch him. They brought you back here instead, and I reset your arm. It'll be sore for a couple days, so be sure to take it easy. Kia and Firnen just needed a good long rest, so they were sent up to their rooms. I believe they're awake now, though. You've been out for a few hours," Chansey informed.

Formora sat back, processing this new information. So Xerneas got away, leaving Team Renegade bruised and battered.

Next time, he'd pay for this with his own blood.

Chansey pronounced her fit for duty, although Formora was to take it easy to let her arm heal. Formora left the infirmary, and went straight up to her own room at the top of the turret. Dinner was already waiting for her there, and so she ate quickly and settled in for an early night.

She was not pleased with how today had gone. She was supposed to have captured Xerneas, the co-leader of the Light movement. But instead he was long gone, having humiliated all three of Team Renegade.

She vowed to become even stronger than before, so that when they faced Xerneas next, she could smack that smug smirk right off his face.

* * *

 **Well, that could have gone better. This won't be our protagonist's last encounter with the, uh,** _ **memorable**_ **Xerneas.**

 **The next installment shall feature: recovery, item gathering, and a certain forest belonging to a certain lunar legendary.**


	16. Chapter 5 His Divine Captive

**Chapter 5. His Divine Captive**

* * *

Formora was forbidden to do anything fun the next day. Lord Giratina told her that she was not allowed to train with Manectric and Gideon or in the weight room. She was also forbidden from exploring new dungeons or helping Oksana with the Eelektross's more... _laborious_ tasks.

" **Your arm was dislocated yesterday,** " he told her. " **If you don't take it easy you could be seriously injured. Let yourself recover today, and if you're better you may do as you will tomorrow.** "

So, she mostly stayed in bed all day. She didn't want to go downstairs and face the compound, not after the thorough beating she received yesterday. Bored out of her mind she may have been, but she'd try her damndest to avoid having to speak to anyone else for the rest of her life.

Her muscles itched to be put to work again. She _had_ to get stronger! She had to defeat Xerneas! It was the only way she'd redeem herself!

But alas, she could not. So, instead she spent the day practicing reading and writing. It had been a while since she'd done either, and she knew the value those two skills carried.

In the afternoon, Kia and Firnen knocked on her door. She thought about sending them away, but with a sigh she put away her things and let them into her room.

The two dragons had mostly recovered from the one-hit KOs they'd been dealt. Firnen had a lump on his forehead, and Kia had a split lip. But both were otherwise fine.

The trio talked about the battle, and all three vehemently agreed that they underestimated Xerneas, and that they would train extensively in order to best him the next time.

They also brought her a gift. They gave her a thing called a 'puzzle'. A picture of a house by a river was cut up into odd-shaped pieces, and they told her the goal of the toy was to put the picture back together. Then you take it apart and do it again some other day.

Formora was confused, but warily intrigued, by the odd charade. Why would you cut up a puzzle if the goal was to put it back together again? Wasn't that what paintings and photographs were for, if you wanted to look at something?

Still, she was incredibly bored, and the puzzle didn't seem like it would strain her sore arm too bad, so she accepted the gift.

The boys left, and the curious Formora began working on the puzzle. She was surprised to find she actually enjoyed the activity. There was something calming about searching for the right pieces. It gave her hands something to do while she thought about other things.

She was also grateful that Kia and Firnen had given her a puzzle with 750 pieces as opposed to one with only 25. If they'd given her one fit for a child, she would have thrown them both out of her window. This one was difficult, but not impossible for a first-timer like her.

It was dinnertime by the time Formora'd finished. She had Teysa send food up to her, as she still refused to go down.

As such, after she ate, she took a long, long bath, and retired early to bed.

* * *

The next day, Lord Giratina asked how her arm was doing.

"Much better," she replied honestly to her vanity mirror, where her lord's image stared back at her. "It hardly hurts when I move it."

" **Excellent,** " Giratina nodded approvingly. " **I know you're eager to return to work. I'll allow it, as long as you agree to go easy on the fighting."**

Not what she wanted, but it was better than nothing.

She agreed, and Giratina's face disappeared from her mirror.

"You really should go down to breakfast, My Lady. You can't stay up here forever," Teysa suggested gently, tugging on Formora's arm.

Formora groaned, but acknowledged that the Cinccino was right. "Fine."

To her utmost relief, no one laughed at her when she entered the cafeteria. Everyone nodded a greeting to her, and went about their day.

Well, _almost_ everyone.

"Wow! I'm surprised you're showing your fehce after getting pummeled by Xerneas!" Sonya laughed as Formora sat down. The trio of assassins had just returned from an assignment.

"It seems you aren't as mighty as you claim to be," Cradily mused.

"How did it feel, losing so badly?" Binacle teased.

"You should queet. Ubviously you're nut cut out for thees," Sonya continued.

"That ees _enough_ ," Oksana cut in. While her words were directed at all three of Formora's tormentors, her face was focused on Sonya's.

The Banette stared at her half-sister in disbelief, then said something in a language Formora didn't understand.

"Because you're being a jerk," Oksana replied in English. "Might I remind you that _all three of you_ were defeated by Xerneas before too?"

Team Miasma looked down, blushing, thoroughly rebuked. They all left the table without a word.

"I can stand up for myself," Formora said, watching them go. "...But thanks."

"They really were being idiots. Most of us at this table have run into Xerneas once or twice. Obviously, we all lost," Katrina of Team Terra consoled.

Formora nodded slightly, then turned to Miles. "Have the Shiny Litwick and Pumpkaboo been apprehended yet?"

Miles winced, and sheepishly informed her that somehow, the two ghosts had defeated Celebi's guardian.

"They had help, though, I'm told. The Hooded Brotherhood assisted in Scizor's arrest," Vesuvius grumbled.

"Who?" Formora asked.

"Group of detectives famous for arresting tough outlaws. They all wear hoods. There's Sips the Marshtomp, Cave the Golem, Sky the Staraptor, and their leader, Blue Hood the Lucario," Jes explained from the other side of the table.

"Ah, eef only I could get my hands on them. The fun I would have…" Oksana sighed, lost in some sick fantasy.

"Hm," was all Formora said.

After breakfast, she met Firnen and Kia outside Dungeon Alley.

"We do not have anything scheduled for today. Do you have any suggestions?" Kia inquired.

"I do in fact," Formora nodded. "We're going back to Full Moon Forest."

The boys stared at her. "Um...may I ask why?" Firnen asked.

"Cresselia or Xerneas may have returned there. I want to be there if they do. ...Also, we should acquire more items and Poké. Our funds aren't as high as they could be," Formora responded.

 _Because I spent over half of it on furniture._

She banished the thought.

Kia and Firnen exchanged a glance with each other, but ultimately agreed to the task.

They decided they wouldn't bring a single thing with them to Full Moon Forest. Their bag had a limited amount of space, and every slot counted. They would not even bring their Bypass Stone for this very reason, even though using it would bring them directly to the end of any dungeon they'd already visited.

After putting everything in storage or the bank, the trio departed.

* * *

 **Full Moon Forest ( watch?v=7oFWr-cy4uU)**

 **B1F**

The dungeon looked the exact same as before. Trees and vegetation everywhere, just like any old other stupid forest. Will-o-the-wisps floated calmly all around the room, adding an ethereal aura to the area.

"Well, we're here," Firnen announced, rather unnecessarily.

"Yes...Come on. We have fifteen floors to thoroughly explore. We need items, and we definitely need money. But most of all, _we need Cresselia and Xerneas in chains_. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get on with our lives," Formora declared. Without waiting for an answer, she strode down the easternmost hall.

Kia and Firnen fell in line behind her, and they began their meticulous exploration of the entire dungeon.

 **B2F**

The trio were in luck. The Stairs were in the same room with them. However, as they were partially here to collect items and money, they ignored the stone steps and scoured the floor for items.

Once they'd explored every inch, they returned to the Stairs.

 **B3F**

They'd found an apple and 31 Poké on this floor. They'd spotted the Stairs a few rooms back, and as they arrived at that room they found that an Illumise had decided to take up residence around the Stairs.

They spread out, surrounding the foe in a tight triangle. The foe in question began by dashing over to Firnen, Quick Attacking him solidly in the gut.

"Oof!" Firnen grunted as he stumbled backwards.

Kia was quick to swoop in and pin the Illumise's arms behind it, using his other two arms to hold onto it.

Formora carefully aimed her Ice Beam at the struggling bug, and smiled in satisfaction as her attack nailed the Illumise without hurting Kia behind it.

After recovering from having the breath knocked out of him, Firnen followed up with Dragon Claw. Laughing gleefully, he raked his claws all up and down the Illumise's front. With a cry, it disappeared without a trace.

The victorious trio descended.

 **B4F**

The first hall they traveled down held a Munna and Sylveon inside of it. Formora sighed, but headed into the walls. She was, after all, supposed to go easy on the fighting.

The Munna, like the idiot it was, tried to send Kia to sleep with Hypnosis, but his Vibra Scarf vibrated intensely, keeping him awake.

"Nice try," he told the bewildered Munna mildly as he Feinted left, then Attacked it from the right.

With a cry, it was thrown right into the Sylveon, sending them both crashing to the ground.

Formora bathed the tangled-up foes with her Powder Snow, and Firnen added his Dragon Rage to the mix. The two foes wailed as they were engulfed in the two attacks.

But, the Munna freed itself, and began absorbing power from the moon. The Moonlight began healing its body.

"No you don't," Kia reprimanded as he cut the healing short with another Feint Attack. The Munna fainted.

The peeved Sylveon stepped up, sending a pink Fairy Wind at the flying dragon-type.

"Ah!" Kia wailed as the attack struck him. He started to fall from the air momentarily before righting himself, shaking his head with a grimace.

"Bad," Formora reprimanded it with Shadow Ball.

Since it had already taken a few attacks, the Sylveon was easily defeated.

The trio moved on, grabbing a couple of apples and an Oran Berry before heading down the Stairs.

 **B5F**

The first room they arrived at held the Stairs, but they had not finished exploring the rest of the floor yet. After they finished exploring, however, they returned to this room.

 **B6F**

The Stairs had spawned with them on this floor. As they'd done with all the subsequent floors, once they'd picked up everything to be found, they retreated back to their starting chamber.

 **B7F**

In the middle of their exploration of this floor, they ran across a Volbeat and Illumise in a hall. Formora phased into the wall beside her, blasting the Volbeat with Ice Beam as she did so.

The Volbeat cried out, turning to search for the hidden enemy. However, this made it wide open to Kia and Firnen, who were quick to exploit its mistake.

It fainted from a combined Dragon Breath/Dual Chop.

Firnen didn't even pause for a second as he moved straight onto the Illumise, raking its face with Dragon Claw.

The Illumise screamed, stepping back and covering its face. Formora blasted its now-exposed stomach with Ice Beam. The foe was flung against the far wall, screaming wildly. A quick follow-up Powder Snow was enough to end it.

Five minutes later found them brawling with an Umbreon in a gigantic chamber. The dark-type successfully landed a Pursuit on Formora, but her Froslass Bow activated, turning the damage into health instead.

She smiled at the confused foe, then sent it sprawling backwards with Ice Beam. Before it could get up, Kia and Firnen double-teamed it with Dragon Claw and Sonic Boom.

It vanished without a trace, and the laughing Team Renegade continued their journey.

 **B8F**

Although the Stairs had appeared with them, they searched the floor first before descending.

 **B9F**

After picking up an Escape Orb, a Lunatone entered the room. It tried to send Kia, who was closest, to sleep, but his Vibra Scarf protected him.

He punished its idiocy with Feint Attack, and it was thrown onto the ground.

It glared at the trio, and began glowing, Polishing its Rocky self and making it more speedier.

Formora threw a Shadow Ball at it, aiming towards its right. As she expected, it evaded to the left, and walked right into Kia's Dragon Breath.

Firnen tried to finish it off with Dual Chop, but the speedy crescent weaved out of the way. It dodged Kia's Sonic Boom, and he and Firnen kept it occupied while Formora snuck up behind it.

She defeated it with a Shadow Ball to the back.

As it vanished, she took out an apple. All the exploring she'd been doing was making her hungry.

The boys ate an apple as well, and they moved on.

Later, they ran across a Munna while crossing a chamber. It came from the hallway they were walking to, and Formora barely had time to blink before it was Hypnotizing her to sleep.

Cursing the thing with all her might, she fell asleep. While she slept, she distantly felt a dull pain erupt on her right arm. When she woke, the boys had just obliterated it, and there was a bruise on her arm that hadn't been there before. It must have hit her while she was out.

Whatever. Annoyed, she moved on, and presently found the Stairs.

 **B10F**

Soon after they had picked up 86 Poké a Clefairy was guarding, Kia asked a question.

"What do we do if Cresselia's not here?"

"...Go home, I guess," Formora shrugged uncomfortably. Cresselia and Xerneas _had_ to be here somewhere. ...Right? "If they turn out to not be here, then I suppose we'll search Verdant Ravine tomorrow."

"I see," Kia said, sounding rather unsatisfied.

 **B11F**

They spawned with a Clefairy. Formora instantly threw an Ice Beam at it, but an odd barrier protected the pink foe from her attack.

"Magic Guard," Firnen spat as he dashed forth. He weaved out of the way of its Double Slap, and rapped it smartly on the head with Assurance. Being a fairy-type, it didn't receive much damage. It only winced, and sent Firnen to sleep with Sing.

Magic Guard...That was the Ability that prevented damage from special attacks, right?

 _Wonderful_ , Formora thought sardonically as she threw herself at the Clefairy with a cry. She favored her right side, wanting to protect her left arm from damage as she barreled into the pink foe with Astonish.

It fell backwards, screeching indignantly.

Formora jumped back, allowing Kia to smack it with Bulldoze. He slammed down on the ground, causing a shockwave to roll through the nearby area. The Clefairy squealed, and its flight was cut short by another Astonish from Formora.

It fainted, and the trio waited for Firnen to wake up. When he did, they moved onward, picking up 45 Poké as they did.

Soon, they encountered a Volbeat guarding a Blinker Seed. The red bug made copies of itself with Double Team. Five more Volbeats sprang into existence, grinning menacingly.

Formora took out two of the clones with a widespread Powder Snow, and Firnen accidentally found the real Volbeat with a Dragon Claw to a random copy.

The trio focused their efforts on the real Volbeat, ignoring the clones. Double Team copies could not actually attack, so the trio had nothing to worry about from them.

Kia pinned it down on the ground with his four arms, and Firnen and Formora finished it off with Dual Chop and Shadow Ball.

They took the Blinker Seed, and moved onward.

While returning to the Stair room, an Umbreon decided to tangle with them in a medium-sized chamber.

It Quickly Attacked Firnen, sending the Fraxure flat on his back. Formora swiftly moved it to retaliate with Ice Beam, but quick as a flash the Umbreon sent two twirling lights at her.

She paused, staring at the lights. They made her vision spin, so much that soon she couldn't tell what was up and what was down anymore.

She felt a brief pain in her gut, like she had been struck by the Umbreon. She sent out a Powder Snow in the direction the blow had come from. She closed her eyes, trying to escape the spinning room. She could hear her friends battling alongside her. Then, all was silent.

Eventually, her vision stopped spinning, and she could see again. However, she was still rather dizzy, so Kia and Firnen gently led her through the rest of the floor.

 **B12F**

They'd discovered the Stairs had spawned with them. They explored the rest of the floor first, but ultimately only found a total of 251 Poké.

 **B13F**

The trio were heading back to the room with the Stairs, having searched the entire floor for supplies. The only thing they found was a Rawst Berry on the entire floor. However, on the way to the Stairs they encountered a Sylveon in a short little hall.

It began by turning and kicking sand into Formora's eyes. The Froslass hissed and fell back, struggling to clear her eyes as the boys protected her. Damn that Sand Attack!

She heard the sounds of battle in front of her. She heard Kia launch a Sonic Boom, Firnen grunting as he was struck, the Sylveon's wails as her teammates' attacks landed.

When she could finally see again, and found that the battle with the Sylveon was over, but a Lunatone was fast approaching them.

Before it could see her, she ducked inside the wall, stealthily hiding there until she felt it time to strike.

The Lunatone started off by Embargoing their bag. Bright red chains shot out from the Lunatone's body and onto their bag, wrapping around it tightly until there was no chance it could be opened.

Kia struck it with Dragon Breath, and Firnen followed suit with Assurance.

The Lunatone, angered now, began to heal itself with Moonlight. But Formora, smiling craftily, re-entered the hall behind the Lunatone. Before the Moonlight could take effect, she KO'd it with Shadow Ball.

They found the Stairs a moment later.

 **B14F**

The closer they got to the end, the more antsy Formora became. Her attacks were missing more often, to her annoyance.

"Are you okay?" Firnen asked hesitantly after she'd gotten hit by a Munna's Psybeam that she honestly could have dodged.

"No, not really," Formora scowled as Kia dealt the Munna a finishing blow. "We were humiliated by that, that _bastard_ of a Pokemon! Everyone's making fun of me! Of us! We _have_ to capture Xerneas and/or Cresselia!"

"Why?" Kia asked, coming over to them. "Everyone loses sometimes. Heck, everyone at our table has been defeated by Xerneas! Why does this matter so much to you?"

"Because if I don't catch them, then no one will accept me!" Formora snapped instantly. Then she paused. Where had _that_ come from…?

Kia and Firnen were silent for a long moment.

"You know, Formora," Kia began eventually, slowly. "Only a select few Pokemon still don't approve of you. And so what? They do not realize the importance of your being here, or your ultimate task. I would imagine they are jealous. Few Pokemon are so high in Lord Giratina's favor."

"Team Miasma hate me. And they're pretty high-rank," Formora said bitterly, staring at the ground.

She'd never thought about it before, but she sought her peers' approval. Which wasn't right, she didn't care what anyone thought of her!

But...now that she had a home, a... _family_ , she supposed she had been secretly upset that not everyone liked her.

"Yes, they are rather aggravating, but as Oksana said, they failed to take down Xerneas too. You can't please everyone, Formora, but you already knew that," Kia continued.

"If it makes you feel any better, we think you're pretty great," Firnen added shyly.

She felt tears in her eyes. Hastily, she wiped her eyes, hating this gross display of weakness.

She hesitated only for a second before hugging her friends for the briefest of seconds, and she promptly resumed their expedition.

 **B15F**

They spawned with a weak little Illumise. It tried to Charm them into submission, winking cutely at them, but only Firnen had to really worry about his physical attack becoming weaker.

Kia and Formora blasted it with Ice Beam and Dragon Breath, just to show it that they weren't easily cowed.

It squeaked, and sent out a red wave of energy at Kia. He staggered underneath the weight of the Struggle Bug, but it was hardly anything to worry about, honestly.

A weak attack from a weak opponent.

Formora was almost _bored_ as she ended it with Powder Snow.

When they'd finished their exploration of this floor, they returned to the room with the Stairs, only to find a Munna inside the room with it.

Its back was turned to them, so they KO'd it with a combined Ice Beam-Dragon Rage-Dragon Breath.

The Munna fainted without ever knowing what happened.

 **Full Moon Clearing**

The clearing was as bare it had been the first time Team R had come here. No, scratch that. It was even _less_ bare. There was no note stuck to a tree anymore.

The unsatisfied Formora, however, refused to let her team leave until they had thoroughly searched every single _inch_ of Full Moon Clearing.

Kia looked inside the treetops as Formora and Firnen rustled through the bushes. Even the hidden glade in the back of the forest was completely devoid of fauna. Only plants dwelled here, for the time being.

She paused, staring angrily at the scene before her. Then, with a harsh scream, she threw a Shadow Ball at the nearest tree. It whizzed right through it, creating a Shadow Ball-shaped hole through the thick pine.

"Argh! They're not here!" she seethed, clutching her head.

"Uh, maybe they're at Verdant Ravine?" Firnen suggested, obviously trying to placate her.

She sighed, but shook her head wearily. "Probably not. They're not here, so why would they be there? We'll…*sigh* we'll go there tomorrow anyway. So my hopes can get crushed yet again."

There was no reason to stay here, so they headed back home.

* * *

It was only mid-afternoon by the time they returned, and the dejected Formora decided to spend the rest of the day with Oksana. Perhaps the misery of others would cheer her up.

To her surprise, Kia and Firnen went with her as she headed down to the dungeon.

"Moral support for you and Oksana," Firnen said with an anticipatory grin. Formora felt a small smile tug at her lips.

The warden was in a small room with a brazier and a Kirlia tied to a metal table. On a steel cart next to Oksana lay a curious assortment of items: a small bowl of salt, a bowl of sand, a bottle of bleach, an oven mitt, and a single spoon.

Both looked up when the trio entered.

"Hello, Team Renegade! Care to watch?" Oksana greeted brightly. Obviously, she was excited for what she was about to do.

"Tell her not to do it, please!" the Kirlia begged futilely. The trio greeted the warden, ignoring the captive.

"Whatcha up to, 'Sana?" Firnen inquired, gesturing at the brazier and cart.

Oksana beamed, and gestured to her prisoner. "Thees one was captured because Team Terra thought he might know where Cresselia's hiding. Turns out he doesn't, so I'm going to release heem, because I'm a nice person. Unfortunately for heem, though, he's seen too much of my operations down here. So, I'm going to geeve heem a going-away present~"

She gestured to the brazier. "Light that for me, would you, Firnen?"

As the Fraxure went to do so, Oksana had Kia hold the Kirlia's eyes open.

The Kirlia wailed and began struggling, trying in vain to free himself. But his bonds were secure.

Kia held the captive's head still as Oksana scooped up a handful of salt, and sprinkled it on his eyes. The captive began wailing as the salt began reacting with his corneas and sclerae. Kia released him, and the Kirlia began furiously whipping his head back and forth, desperate to clear his eyes of the stinging substance.

After a moment, Oksana had Kia hold his head still again, and put more salt on his eyes. Meanwhile, the brazier was lit, and Oksana had Firnen begin heating up the spoon on her cart.

Oksana continued to pour salt until her bowl was empty.

Then she moved onto the bowl of sand.

Then the bleach.

When all three containers were empty of their contents, the Kirlia's eyes could hardly be identified as such. They were red, not just from irritation but because the scratchy sand had made a bunch of tiny, microscopic cuts on the surface. They were swollen, watering like a fountain, and deep chemical burns from the bleach had eaten away most of his corneas, leaving his pupils and irises exposed to the air.

The Kirlia had screamed and screamed throughout the purposely-slow ordeal, shuddering wildly and spasming uncontrollably. Now he gasped and wheezed, his throat raw not only from screaming, but also because a good portion of the bleach had dribbled into his mouth as it cascaded down his face.

"Mmm. That looks painful. I don't think you'll be able to use them anymore after thees, I'm afraid," Oksana said sympathetically, patting the whimpering Kirlia's shoulder gently. "Might as well remove them!"

At that, the Kirlia began struggling anew, whispering for Oksana to stop, to be merciful, to _just end it already_.

Oksana ignored him, and turned to Firnen. "Ah, good work."

She handed the oven mitt to Formora. "Would you like to do the honors?"

Formora was surprised, but agreed. She put on the mitt, and gingerly took the red-hot spoon from the brazier.

She stood over the crying Kirlia, unsure of what to do.

"Eet's just like scooping ice cream from the container," Oksana said brightly, making a scooping gesture.

Huh. Formora turned back to the unfortunate sap, and put the spoon right under his left eye. A sharp sizzling sound hissed through the air as the spoon came in contact with his skin. The Kirlia wailed raspily, trying to turn his head away, but Kia held him fast.

She dug in, deeper, pushing past the swollen skin and jagged remains of sclera, tuning out the screams of one who is experiencing the most painful, most _excruciating_ of agonies. One who would _beg_ for the sweet void of death than to live another moment, another second on this earth.

Once the spoon was underneath the optic disk, she began slowly and methodically pulling it up. It was an arduous task, as she had to sever the eye itself from the optic nerve, which was stronger than it looked. She hacked at the nerve with the side of the spoon until it was severed completely. Then it was no problem getting the eye out of the socket.

The Kirlia screeched, or at least he tried to. His voice was gone by now, after all the screaming and overuse his throat had suffered over the past half-hour.

She removed the other eye with greater ease, since she knew what to do now. The Kirlia shuddered, and went limp.

"Huh, took heem long enough to faint," Oksana observed mildly, setting the two useless eyes on her cart. She opened the door to the room and whistled for Scraggy, who seemed to be her clean-up guy. "Take that one to Chansey. Then when he's recovered, let heem go. Release heem een Firewood City. I like to show off my art."

Scraggy scrambled to obey as Oksana led the trio out of the room. Formora was giddy with hunger. Not for dinner, but for _more_. What she'd seen, what she'd _done_ , was more than enough to make her happy again.

"Thanks for your help. Care to help me some more?" Oksana inquired brightly.

Team Renegade eagerly agreed.

* * *

They journeyed to Verdant Ravine the next day, taking an empty bag with them once more. They collected all the items that they could on each floor, but when they reached the end of the dungeon Xerneas and Cresselia were nowhere to be found. There was no evidence to suggest that they had been there since Team R's first arrival, and with disappointed sighs the trio headed back home.

When Formora retired to bed that night, Lord Giratina was waiting for her in her vanity mirror.

" **How's your arm?"** he inquired.

"All better," Formora replied.

" **Good, good. You're probably chomping at the bit to have your next assignment. One shall come soon, but first, I have something special planned for just us two tomorrow,"** Giratina told her.

"What is it?" Formora asked, thoroughly intrigued.

Giratina chuckled. " **Tomorrow, I will take you to Arceus."**

* * *

 **The HB were created by Ckbrothers, of course. Credit where credit is due! Also, the Shiny Riolu captured a few posts back was created by Gara316!**

 **There'll be a delay until the next chapter. For one, I need to pay more attention to my other stories, but mostly because our protagonist will be traveling through a 50-floor dungeon. So, yeah, it's gonna take me more time than usual x_x**

 **The next post shall include: the home of Arceus, the prison of Arceus, and Arceus Itself.**


	17. Chapter 17

Today was the day she'd traverse Celestial Spire. Formora was antsy, and not just because she'd finally get to meet her tormentor Arceus.

" _How will I survive the trip?! Isn't Celestial Spire like, crazy strong?"_ she'd demanded the previous day.

" _ **I've got that covered. Have you heard of a Joy Ribbon, Formora? No? Well, only ten were ever created. Eight are lost to history, but a certain museum in the Lorii District up north had one on display. Team Leviathan were kind enough to steal it for you. While wearing it, all damage you receive will be converted into strength instead. With it, you'll be untouchable,**_ " Giratina had explained. He only had one, so only Formora would be accompanying him.

The Ribbon had been delivered to her room this morning. Now she went down to breakfast with it on her neck rather than her Froslass Bow. It was a small ribbon, colored white but shone in rainbow colors whenever the light touched it.

The others oohed and aahed over it as she made her way through the buffet line.

"Ah, if only I had one of my own," Chlorr of Team Necro sighed jealously.

"Wow! That's a Joy Ribbon, Lady Formora?" Pikipek asked, his eyes shining with interest as he leaned in closer to look at it..

Formora bit back a sigh. The kid had joined their cause a day ago, and was training to be an aerial sentry. He was much too curious for his own good, in her opinion.

Breakfast came and went, and when it was time for Formora to leave her teammates they were kind enough to see her off on the beach.

"Lucky," Firnen sighed, while Kia wished her good luck on the trip.

A roar sounded behind them, and the ocean opened up to allow Giratina into this dimension. He switched into his Altered Forme, and landed on the beach.

" **Good morning, Team Renegade. Ready to go, Formora?"** he greeted.

Formora nodded, and he tossed her a large bag. " **I had that prepared for our trip. It's full of apples, Oran Berries, a couple of Reviver Seeds, and your Bypass Stone. I don't expect to need most of the supplies, but I prefer to err on the side of caution."**

"Alright. Goodbye, you two. We should be back at day's end," Formora said, shaking her friends' hands before climbing onto Giratina's back.

"Goodbye!" "Bye Formora!" they waved as Giratina took off.

She sat back, and enjoyed the view as they flew high above the land.

* * *

 **Luminous Spring**

Formora could see Celestial Spire long before they actually reached the spring. Now, as Giratina landed in front of the tower, Formora saw that the tower was much taller than she'd originally thought. It stretched high into the air, higher than even the tallest skyscraper in Castelia City. It surpassed even the clouds…

Joy Ribbon or no, there was no way she'd be able to traverse a monstrosity like this place!

But she put her doubts aside. Giratina would not bring her here if he did not think she was ready. She would confirm that belief, even if it killed her. And since she was to fight the Light's Chosen at the _top,_ she knew she would not die climbing this tower.

She would do it.

In front of the tower, however, lay Luminous Spring. The water was crystal-clear, and Formora could see no sign of how it made Pokemon evolve.

Just as well it was out of commission, she mused as she stared at the tower instead.

Celestial Spire was a circular tower, with smoke-gray steps leading up to the black void that made up the entrance, next to a Kangaskhan Rock. The doorway was surrounded in gold, and inside a small alcove above it lay a peculiar globe decorated with gold rings. Green gems were embedded intermittently in the gray tower, and markings raced all up the sides, changing color every second. An ethereal aura pulsed from the tower, and as Formora drew closer she could see faint cracks here and there in the stone.

She smiled. The tower, Giratina had told her on the way here, was directly tied to Arceus' health. The more damaged it appeared, the weaker Arceus was. To her, it would look much better if it was reduced to rubble, but that day would come soon enough.

" **Ready?"** Giratina asked.

She took a deep breath, and nodded.

She followed Giratina up the steps, and into the home of Arceus.

* * *

 **Celestial Spire ( watch?v=V9oPdT1aX58)**

 **1F**

Arceus' home had a similar color scheme on the inside. The floor seemed to be made out of light gray porcelain inlaid with dark gray tiles embedded at regular intervals. The walls were painted gold (or perhaps they were made out of actual gold? What a waste) with green emeralds here and there. Cracks as big as Treeckos were all over the room, to Formora's delight. There was also a faint, sickly-sweet odor in the air, as if further emphasizing Arceus' declining health.

Ah, if only she could see the dungeon when It was on death's door. Then it would look _much_ better.

" **Here we are,"** Giratina declared, rustling his wings. " **Celestial Spire. Fortunately for me, all dungeons automatically recalibrate their size to the largest Pokemon in the party. Feel free to try out that Joy Ribbon, Formora. I assure you you will not be injured. You will be affected by status moves, but damaging moves will only strengthen you."**

She soon had a chance to experiment with the Ribbon, as almost immediately an Accelgor rushed into their room. It locked onto Formora, as if sensing she was the weaker of the two. It lowered its head, and raced straight for her in the blink of an eye.

Instinctively, Formora braced for impact, and while she felt the blow...she wasn't hurt. She hadn't even been sent flying across the room. All she felt was a surge of power coursing through her.

She peeked an eye open, and slowly grinned. She gleefully took another U-Turn hit from the confused Accelgor, and her grin furthered as she felt no pain, only new power. No wonder it was called a Joy Ribbon; their attacks were her joy!

"This," she said. "is the best day ever."

After a few minutes of this, Giratina put the Accelgor out of its misery with Dragon Claw. The foe was so focused on why its attacks weren't hurting her that it didn't even notice the elongated claws coming right at it.

It vanished without a trace, and Formora eagerly skipped forward, ready for the next opponent. Giratina followed suit, amused by her excitement.

 **2F**

The floors of this place were _huge!_ There weren't terribly many chambers, but Arceusdamn there were a bunch of long halls. If Formora still had legs they'd have turned to mush, and it was only 2F.

Giratina didn't seem to mind though, so Formora kept her mouth shut.

She did, however, have a question. "If I may ask, My Lord, how are you monitoring the land for signs of the Light's Chosen?"

" **You can always ask me anything, Formora. And that is an excellent question. Most of the time I rely on Miles and his team's intelligence-gathering, as well as the things Oksana's tenants give her. But I have my own ways. See, being a part of the Creation Trio, I have some degree of omnipotence due to my control over antimatter and dimensions other than time and space. I use this ability to listen in on the conversations of Pokemon. Oh, I ignore most of it. I only pay attention when I hear the words 'Giratina' and 'Arceus'. Depending on my mood I sometimes listen for other keywords, but that's the gist of it. I do so in the hopes that our enemy will slip up and say something he or she shouldn't have. I haven't found them yet, but I have stumbled across a couple of Cresselia's rebels once or twice."**

He glanced at her. " **Normally, outside of the compound our forces refer to me as 'Him' or 'He Who Is'. It saves them from giving away my identity-most Pokemon still believe I am still locked away, can you believe it?-and saves me the false hope."**

"I will not waste your time, My Lord," Formora nodded sagely, satisfied by the answer.

 **3F**

When they arrived on the third floor, they had the fortune to spawn with an Unown and Skarmory.

The Skarmory gave a fierce screech and dove for Giratina, its wings glowing white for a Slash attack. With a laugh, Formora jumped in front of him, absorbing the blow. The damage she would have taken was converted into strength, and Formora giggled as she felt herself become even more powerful.

She took the Unown's Hidden Power, also meant for Giratina, but was helpless to stop the Skarmory from rubbing its feathers together. The Metal Sound they produced reminded her of nails on a chalkboard, and she slammed her hands over her ears, willing the awful noise to go away.

Giratina vanished without a trace, and for a panicked moment Formora wondered if he had somehow fainted. But then he reappeared next to the Skarmory, and headbutted it into the far wall. A large crack the size of a Beartic appeared where the Skarmory landed. It disappeared, and unlike Giratina did not return.

Formora thanked her leader, and sat back as he made quick work of the Unown with Dragon Claw.

"What was that move that made you invisible?" she asked as they got moving.

" **My signature move, Shadow Force. I vanish for a time, then strike unexpectedly,** " Giratina replied, brushing her head fondly with the tip of his wing.

 **4F-10F**

Not much of interest happened on these seven floors. The weather liked to change from floor to floor, to Formora's annoyance. But, there were enemies galore in this dungeon, and they provided excellent opportunities in letting Formora power up with her Joy Ribbon.

Formora would dive in front of their offensive attacks, relishing in the pure _strength_ that always washed over her. Their attacks bolstered her, closing the power gap between her and Xerneas.

The next time she faced him, he'd get more than just a couple bruises.

 **11F**

Formora had spotted a Red Gummi lying in the corner of a giant room. She went to grab it, and as she returned to Giratina's side the floor opened up underneath her feet.

She shrieked, but found that the floor gave way to a set of Stairs.

"What on earth…?" she trailed, wondering what this was.

" **Ah, a Secret Bazaar,"** Giratina nodded in approval as he came closer.

"A Secret Bazaar?" Formora echoed, popping the Gummi into her mouth. She wrinkled her face in disgust. The thing tasted like pure cinnamon. Blech.

" **Yes. If you're lucky enough to find the entrance to one, it'll lead you to a small bazaar. For 100 Pok** **é** **, you can escape the dungeon, clean any items hit by a Sticky Trap, replenish your health and energy, or gamble. They're also a free trip to the next floor, so even if you don't plan on buying anything you should still utilize them,"** Giratina explained.

Curious, Formora and Giratina descended into the Bazaar. They arrived at a small cluster of shops. There was a Mime Jr. next to a massage table, a Lickilicky next to a bunch of Cleanse Orbs, a Shedinja with many Escape Orbs, and a Swalot next to a horde of cloth bags filled with...something.

In the center of the shop was a Kirlia.

"Welcome to the Secret Bazaar!" she greeted them cheerfully.

Giratina lifted his head in greeting, and asked Formora is she wanted anything.

"What's in those bags?" she asked, pointing to the Swalot's shop.

" **Oran Berries, usually. But sometimes you get lucky and get a Reviver Seed or some Iron Thorns,"**

Meh. Formora decided against buying any of the services, and they ascended the Stairs located in the southern part of the room.

 **12F-17F**

Giratina and Formora continued to traverse the dungeon. Formora tanked attacks, then Giratina defeated them all in one hit. It was a delight getting to see her leader annihilate the lowly dungeon Pokemon like they were nothing. She only hoped that one day, she'd be able to do the same.

And at the rate she was leveling up with the Joy Ribbon, that day was not far off.

 **18F**

 **Weather Condition: Rain**

The only new thing that 18F gave to the dungeon was the appearance of pools of water along the edges. The water was a bright blue, but somewhat dull. Formora stuck out her tongue, and caught a couple raindrops. The rain tasted stale too, as if the weather was also tied to Arceus' health.

Those were the only new things near in this place, so Formora ate an apple and continued the trek with Giratina.

 **19F-23F**

On 21F Formora encountered her first Monster House. 22 Pokemon fell from the sky, all scowling viciously at the two intruders.

Formora brightened at all this free power, and spent a wonderful five minutes absorbing as many attacks as she could. She was still hit by an Electivire's Screech and an Omastar's Tickle, but for the most part she had the time of her life.

She was sad when Giratina ended the brawl with Draco Meteor. A pink ball of energy appeared in front of his mouth, and he sent the ball high into the air. Once it had almost reached the ceiling, it exploded into many beams of light. The beams each hit a Pokemon, and not one Pokemon hit survived.

A couple of foes managed to evade being hit, but they were made swift work of by Giratina's Shadow Force.

Not much else happened after that.

 **24F**

At one point while traversing a smallish room, Formora stumbled suddenly, and fell. Her Joy Ribbon fell from her neck, and bounced a few few away.

She looked to see what had tripped her, and saw she's been caught by a Trip Trap.

With a paranoid squeak, Formora lunged for the Ribbon. Without it, she was useless here! She still wasn't strong enough to take on a Spire Pokemon all by herself, despite all of the experience she'd cheated her into obtaining.

She did not feel safe without it, and she was reassured only when she double-knotted it back around her neck.

Giratina politely pretended he did not see, and Formora sheepishly moved forward, a deep blush appearing on her cheeks.

 **25F**

" **After this floor will be a waypoint,"** Giratina told her as they arrived. " **Not all dungeons have them, but those that do typically have theirs around the halfway point. The waypoint will have a Kangaskhan statue. You can't exchange your items at it, but touching it will allow you to return there if you happen to faint by accident. There are no enemies, and your health and stamina will return to normal."**

Formora nodded, and as it turned out, the Stairs were in the second room they came to.

 **-Waypoint-**

The waypoint appeared just as Giratina had said it would. It was a single room, and in the center of it was a Kangaskhan statue. Giratina tapped it with a wingtip as Formora looked around.

There wasn't much to the room. The scenery had changed, though. The walls were now made of a shimmering white stone, and water lined the east and west sides. The floor was a dark gray brick embedded with stones that constantly changed color, just like the markings on the outside of the tower. The sickly-sweet odor was more noticeable here, but it wasn't strong enough to be overtly distracting. And of course, there were cracks all over.

Honestly, it was kind of boring.

" **Need a moment to rest?"** Giratina inquired.

She did, actually, but she wasn't about to admit it out loud.

She shook her head, and followed Giratina further inside the dungeon.

 **Upper Celestial Spire ( watch?v=VC_6CjQVW6w)**

 **1F**

The scenery here was exactly the same as the waypoint's decor. The only difference was there was no water here. This floor did have an Encourage Seed, which Formora eagerly scooped up. She could think of many uses for this special item.

She continued to power up as they explored the floor.

 **2F-5F**

New foes had appeared on the second half of the dungeon. Togekisses, Florges, Roserades, and Meganiums could now be seen among the other Pokemon that lived in this ailing dungeon.

Formora didn't care. They fell just as easily as the others, and they gave her strength like the others did too.

 **6F**

 **Weather condition: Hail**

Huh, it had never hailed here before. The cold air felt _wonderful_ to Formora, who was thoroughly sick of the summer heat by now. Although the hail struck her, she was not damaged by the stones. Giratina was, though he kept silent about this nuisance.

She breathed a happy sigh, revelling in the comforting weather.

" **Have you had a chance to try out your Ability yet, Formora?"** Giratina asked as she danced through the halls.

Her eyes widened. "No, I have not. It's Snow Cloak, right?"

" **Yes,"** Giratina nodded. " **Your evasiveness is boosted during hail and snow. ...A Meganium is coming towards us. Try it out."**

Indeed, the green foe was heading their way. Upon seeing Formora, it began charging right at her, intending on Body Slamming her to the ground.

Something was telling her to invisify herself, so following the impulse she willed her cells to disguise, as crazy as it sounded.

To her astonishment though, she _felt_ herself disappear. It was like putting on a cloak. The hail somehow disguised her, prevented her from being seen by the Meganium, who'd now skidded to a confused stop. It gazed wildly around the room, searching for her.

She smiled, and crept up behind it. She took off the cloak, and pelted it with Ice Beam. Though it wasn't enough to take it even down to halfway, it did get its attention. It turned to face her, and Giratina took the chance to end it with a regular attack.

"I like it," she smiled up at him.

 **7F-11F**

The weather mostly remained sunny, much to Formora's distaste. It was hot enough already; she did not need this extra heat! Why couldn't the weather revert back to Hail? The cold felt much better.

Alas, the weather was determined to spite her.

 **12F**

 **Weather Condition: Cloudy**

"Between this Joy Ribbon and all these Reviver Seeds we've been finding, no one will be able to stop me and the boys!" Formora was exclaiming happily to Giratina as they traversed an especially-long corridor.

" **Hm, I suppose. I tend to think less of the team that cheats its way to victory with items during boss battles,"** Giratina shrugged.

This was news to Formora. "How come?"

" **I much prefer to see the horror dawn on an exploration team when they realize they're all out of Reviver Seeds, Oran Berries, and other items. They use up all of their precious items and still the Dark Pokemon will not faint. Because the Dark Pokemon is too strong. The Dark Pokemon beat the Light team without using** _ **any**_ **items while forcing the Light to use up their own. It's a much more delicious feeling to me, anyway. But if you wish to use items, I will not stop you,"** Giratina explained.

Formora fell silent, mulling over this line of thinking. She'd no wish to do anything he did not approve of, and she was eager to taste this 'delicious feeling' as he called it.

She made a note to put it by Firnen and Kia when she returned.

 **13F-17F**

Water began appearing on 15F, but that was about it in terms of excitement. Formora continued to power herself up with the Joy Ribbon, and Giratina would ultimately execute the bewildered enemies.

 **18F**

 **Weather condition: Sand**

A sandstorm of all things was raging on this floor. Formora and Giratina tried their best to protect their eyes and mouth as they moved through the floor.

Unfortunately, though, Formora activated a Warp Trap. One minute she was with Giratina, the next she was in an unfamiliar room.

And the sandstorm was still going.

Cursing silently, she picked a hallway and started down it, avoiding any Pokemon she came across by heading into the walls.

To her luck, though, she found the Stairs after a few moments.

 **19F-24F**

Her smile widened the closer they came to the end of the dungeon. Soon she would meet Arceus, the Pokemon who had decided she was to live in misery when she was a human. Well, she no longer lived in misery. Those days were over. Its plan for her had failed, and she looked forward to the day where she could watch the light finally die in Its eyes.

She would remember that future day forever.

 **25F**

Ah, the final floor.

She was tired and sweaty from all the walking, but they had finally made it here. Even better, the Stairs had spawned with them!

" **Beyond this lies Arceus. Are you prepared to deal with It?"**

She nodded vigorously. "Oh _yes._ "

They ascended.

 **Celestial Spire Pinnacle**

At last they'd made it to the top of the Spire. Formora, grateful to finally reach the end of the outrageously-long dungeon, flopped to the floor in both thankfulness and exhaustion.

Once she'd rested for a few moments, she peeled herself off the ground and stared at the home of Arceus.

As far as dungeons went, it was alright. They were now above the clouds, and Formora could see the rest of the continent spread far and wide from this altitude. She could see the Deadlands in the east, the endless blizzards in the far north, the mountains in the south, the pristine beaches of the west…

Okay, Arceus _did_ have a nice view. But honestly that was all It could say for Its choice of dwelling. Being above the clouds meant that It would forever be assaulted by the heat of the sun. There was a small roof high above the tower, but when the sun shone at certain angles it would surely provide poor protection. She didn't have to deal with the sun just now, as it had almost completed its trade of the sky with the moon.

The floor was made of light gray bricks, and inclined slightly until the center of the pinnacle. From the center, the floor declined. A three-foot-tall wall colored a normal shade of gray surrounded the edge. At the northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwestern points of the wall, golden structures shaped like curved crosses adorned the Spire.

At the far end of the Spire, trapped inside a glowing green sphere of antimatter, was Arceus. It had a quadrupedal light gray body, with dark gray undertones, gold hooves, and a peculiar gold ring just like the settlements on the edges of the tower on Its torso. The ring was studded with green gems. To the right of Its prison was a smaller, empty sphere of antimatter.

It looked up upon their approach, Its eyes weary and hateful.

" _So...you are the Dark's Chosen,_ " Its voice was like falling, falling forever into an endless abyss. Any lesser Pokemon would have become mesmerized in that hypnotic allure, but Formora was no lesser Pokemon.

"I am. You look much less like a deity than I'd imagined. What's that green thing next to Its prison?" she crossed her arms, the latter part directed at Giratina.

" **A failsafe for your ultimate fight. If anything hits the orb, it'll explode, causing the prison to explode as well. And vice versa. The results...well, you'll like them,"** Giratina replied.

"Hm. care to tell me where the Light Champion is?" Formora inquired.

Arceus remained silent.

"I figured as much. Oh, but how the tables have turned! It's You who are now living in pure agony, not me! I escaped from the plan You had for me! I didn't _ask_ to be born, Arceus. I didn't _deserve_ the life I lived. Now I shall avenge all of the others wronged by Your twisting of fate. And best of all, I shall be there when You die," Formora spat, quivering slightly with rage. Years of pent-up anger was coming to the surface.

" _Formora, I did not-"_

" **Silence,** " Giratina interrupted, hovering close to the prison. The larger orb glowed, and Arceus jerked violently, screaming wildly.

A cruel grin slid across Formora's face. The young woman stood back, drinking in the sight and sounds of her tormentor's suffering with much pleasure. The satisfied feeling she was getting in response was quite intoxicating, and she savored the ecstasy for a few seconds.

A kite-shaped thing was sprouting from Arceus' body. It was about the size of Formora, and was never the same color as it was a moment ago.

The object broke free of the prison, and fell dully to the ground. Arceus went limp, Its head bowed low and Its eyes closed.

"What's that?" Formora asked, touching the strange object. Upon contact, visions of sickness and poisoned crops sprang into her mind. She wrenched her hand away, blinking profusely.

" **One of Arceus' 18 Plates. Arceus has the Ability to change Its type with the help of these Plates. The Plates are what sustain It. If even one is removed from Its body, It slowly weakens. The more that are gone, the more It withers away. This'll be the seventh one I've removed thus far. I'll hide it in some dungeon hardly anyone ever visits. That way, even if someone finds it, chances are microscopic that they'll recognize it. They'll think it some weird, rare treasure and hoard it greedily,"** Giratina explained, tucking the Plate away.

Formora nodded, and turned to leave. She was done here.

" **Ready to leave so soon?"**

She didn't look back as she answered, "I've seen enough. I want It to rot away alone until it's time for the execution."

The duo left the Spire. Once they returned to Luminous Spring, Giratina pried off the globe above the entrance with a giant toe.

As soon as the globe left its alcove, Celestial Spire... _disappeared._ Formora jumped.

" **Oh, it's still there, unfortunately. Just shielded by a powerful illusion. Now no one will be able to enter without the Space Globe here,"** Giratina nodded at the globe at his feet. " **Shall we?"**

Formora nodded. The sun had just set, plunging the world into nighttime. She would miss dinner by the time they returned home, but they had plenty of apples in their bag.

She climbed onto Giratina's back, and settled in as he took to the air.

* * *

Giratina dropped her off in front of the base's entrance, and opened up the portal to his own world via the ocean. She greeted the Blissey guards, and set about finding her friends.

She found them in the gym, watching some of the other Pokemon play soccer. Kia was closely watching Cate, who'd managed to score her team a basket. The Espurr smiled shyly when her teammates cheered.

Firnen nudged the Vibrava. "Dude, just go for it."

Kia actually _flinched._ "What if I say the wrong thing, though?!"

"What are you two doing?" Formora asked, climbing onto the stands to join them.

They brightened upon seeing her, embracing her briefly. "Formora! How was Celestial Spire?"

She shrugged. "Arceus sure likes to flaunt Its power. The Spire's rather gaudy in appearance in my opinion. The only good things about it is that there are lovely cracks in the foundation and its owner's health is failing fast~"

The boys chuckled.

"How have you two spent the day?" Formora inquired.

Kia flashed her a secretive smile. "We've been training literally all day. Obviously we'll never be able to compare to you and your Joy Ribbon, but we figured it's no reason to go soft. So we decided we'd learn us some powerful attacks. I've learned mine, but Firnen's struggling with his."

"I just need a little more time with it," Firnen sighed, leaning back. "I'm sure I'll be able to master it by tomorrow."

"What moves are you talking about?" Formora asked.

"It's a surprise, my dear Lady," Kia winked.

They refused to tell her anything more, so Formora gave up and went straight to bed.

Traversing a 50-floor dungeon sure took a lot out of a girl.

* * *

 **I'm not going to just write an entire 50 floors of content this early in the story! That comes later, after I've sold my soul :D**

 **Giratina reminds me of Yukari Yakumo, what with his ability to manipulate the boundary between time and space XD But you guys don't care about that.**

 **Anyways, the next post will contain: fairies galore, powerful new moves, and Team Moon Breeze ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

Team R didn't have anything on tap for today, so they were free to do as they wished. Kia and Firnen went up to the training room to work on their mysterious new attacks while Formora was invited to sit in on an Intel meeting.

Miles led her to a back room in the Intel department. He explained that they used the soundproof room for meetings of the utmost importance. All of Team Jacks barring their leader were already seated, as well as Teams Miasma and Leviathan along with Kyurem and...Kay? What was the new member doing here?

"Kay's been making quite a name for herself in the couple of weeks she's been here," Kyurem explained when Formora voiced the question. Kay smiled shyly, embarrassed by the praise. "She's been a big help to Oksana, and shares our vision for a better, Lightless world. I've decided I'd make her my student."

"I hope it's o-okay with you," the Minun said humbly. "I've f-f-found my calling here, and I want to do all I can to achieve o-our dream." Everyone but the ice-types and Sonya were shivering from Kyurem's freezing aura.

Formora shrugged nonchalantly in answer.

"Well, we're a-a-ll here, minus J-j-jace. Where is h-he?" Miles asked as everyone took a seat. Giratina's face appeared in a mirror on the wall.

"Late as u-usual. We might as w-w-well start," Kiora, the Octillery of Team Jacks sighed.

 _Ugh. Either show up on time or don't show up at all_ , Formora grumbled to herself.

Miles shook his head wearily, and began passing out papers to everyone. Formora tried to read her copy, but most of the words were beyond her meager skill.

"For the p-past year and a half we've b-b-been donating some of our funds to W-waterAll, a charity dedicated to making sure e-e-everyone across the continent has access to cl-clean water, especially the rural v-villages and places with high poverty l-l-levels. We thought them a j-just cause, but...we've uncovered the CEO's secret: as of l-l-late, he's been pocketing most of the donations his ch-charity has received." the Absol informed.

The Pokemon seated let out hisses and boos. Even Formora made a disgusted sound. She knew the struggle of finding drinkable water; there'd been many a time in Castelia when she accidentally drank tainted water. A water charity would've been a blessing. And this man was deciding to line his own pockets instead of help those in need?

Formora clenched her hands, ripping holes in the papers she clutched.

" **I've decided we will no longer support them. At least, until the current CEO is removed from office. Our donations make up the majority of their funds; without us, they'll soon go under. Killing him would certainly send a message, but I don't think it should be our strategy here. We might scare off the other executives into refusing our gifts, and I'm not just talking about the people in WaterAll. A drastic action like that might affect the other projects we support. No, I'm feeling rather merciful today. Team Lev, I want you to go to the WaterAll HQ and...persuade the CEO to step down. He'll live...as long as he behaves himself from now on. Make sure he knows that,"** Giratina instructed.

"Got it," Axel nodded.

A frantic knock sounded at the door.

Miles opened it, and Shinx practically fell into the room.

"I need a strong team right away!" he cried, bouncing up and down impatiently.

" **What ails you, Shinx?"**

"One of my informants, he saw Team Lunar Wind!" he announced.

The room grew tense with anticipation. All of them knew the importance of capturing Cresselia's devoted disciples.

"How long ago was this?" Kyurem demanded, standing up.

"About an hour ago. They went into Enchanting Prairie," Shinx answered, shifting from side to side.

" **Formora, get Kialandi and Firnen and pursue them right away. The rest of you, remain here. You will be needed for this upcoming mission** ," Giratina swiftly directed.

"We should go; we're stronger," Binacle objected.

Giratina shook his head, and the Two-Handed Pokemon fell silent. **"You forget Formora's Joy Ribbon. With it, they have a huge advantage. And I have a new assignment for you three that needs to be completed within the next couple of days."**

To Formora he added, " **I know of Enchanting Prairie. Lots of fairies, 14 floors. Be careful, as there are ways of getting past a Joy Ribbon. Go now!"**

She did, racing out of the meeting room and into the training room next door.

Kia, Firnen, Manectric, and Gideon all jumped in surprise when she slammed open the door. She ignored this, shouting "We have an urgent mission!" at Kia and Firnen before running down to Dungeon Alley.

"What's going on?!" Kia demanded in bewilderment as the boys caught up to her.

"Lunar Wind spotted. Prepare our bag!" Formora said quickly. Giratina had put all of the items and money they'd collected in Celestial Spire in Team R's accounts, so at least they had things to draw upon.

They took with them: three apples, three Oran Berries, two Blast Seeds, two Reviver Seeds, an Escape Orb, the mirror, and the Bypass Stone.

"Where's Enchanting Prairie?" Formora shouted as they ran down the mountain.

"Ah, north of Firewood City," Kia replied, reading their map.

The trio wasted no more time talking, and focused all of their energy on getting as quickly as they could to the dungeon.

* * *

 **Enchanting Prairie ( watch?v=2ib_yOM7ssE)**

Two ancient weeping willows guarded the entrance to the dungeon between them. Surrounding the trees was a large colorful field of flowers, most notably lavender.

Formora hardly noticed the scenery. Her eyes were more focused on the black shadows in between the willows.

 **B1F**

Lush leaf green grass decorated ornately with tiny blossoms no bigger than Formora's fingers made up the floor in this place. The walls were composed of ivy-covered stone. Sweet Scent was permanently in effect here, it seemed. The intoxicating smell would not go away, and the trio had to fight to keep their wits about them.

"I've heard of the Lunar Wind but I've never really learned much about them. Who are they, exactly?" Formora inquired as they raced down a small hallway, ignoring the Pecha Berry in the room they came to.

"They're composed of three members like us. The leader is a Mismagius named Luna, I believe," Kia began as Formora took down a Floette with Ice Beam and Powder Snow. "The other two are a Lumineon named Selene and a Weavile named Umbra."

Formora nodded. "I'll handle the Weavile. You two focus on the others."

"With pleasure," Firnen said grimly as they continued through the floor.

 **B2F**

The second room they arrived at was being guarded by a tiny, feeble little Cutiefly. Formora didn't even feel a difference in her strength as the stupid thing tried to stop her with a pink Fairy Wind.

"Outta my way," she snapped, KOing it with Ice Beam.

The next room held a Magenta Gummi, and Formora did stop to pop it in her mouth. The trek from the base to here had not been an effortless one.

She'd never tasted anything like this before. It was bitter, making her wrinkle her face, but it also faintly tasted like raspberries. Bitter raspberries? What kind of flavor was this?

Nevertheless, she swallowed the Gummi, and moved onwards.

 **B3F**

As they sped through the dungeon, Formora fantasized all of the horrible things that would happen to the elusive rebels. She was determined to have at least one Lunar Wind member all to herself. Perhaps she'd take the Weavile, Umbra. His claws would be deadly sharp, no doubt, so naturally she'd have to declaw him first, until he had nothing left to scratch her with.

Then his teeth, so he couldn't bite. And perhaps his tongue, so he couldn't speak. She'd leave his eyes alone, so he could see everything happening to him, his friends, and the other prisoners in the dungeon.

Ah, the fun she'll have...

 **B4F**

Team Renegade were fortunate enough to have arrived in the Stair room.

 **B5F**

They weren't as fortunate on this floor, as they'd spawned with a red-flower Floette and Togepi this time.

Formora got the Floette's attention with Astonish, as it was more of a threat to her teammates than the Togepi was. It worked, and the enraged fairy threw Razor-sharp Leaves at her. She stood still as the leaves tried to lacerate her. They left not a mark, and the damage she would have received was instead converted into power.

The Floette paused, scrunching up its face in confusion. She grabbed it by its neck, holding it close to her face.

"You done goofed," she informed it mildly as she blasted it with Shadow Ball.

She turned just in time to see the Togepi be defeated by a combined Feint Attack/regular attack from her teammates.

With those pitiful foes out of the way, they moved south. As it turned out, the Stairs were in the next room.

 **B6F**

They spawned with a sleeping Swirlix, and they left it alone as they traveled north. They'd no time to waste, so any sleeping foes were spared lest they woke up.

They did come across a Togepi in a hall, and unfortunately the only way to get past it was to beat it.

Formora ducked into the walls, and promptly smacked the stupid thing with Ice Beam.

It wailed, and was easily dispatched by Kia's Feint Attack.

"Why did it ever think it could defeat us?" Formora hissed as they continued.

They found the Stairs soon after, but a red-flower Floette wasn't about to let them go without a fight. It gave itself a Lucky Chant, shielding it from critical hits. Whatever.

It evaded Kia's Sonic Boom, and blasted Firnen with Fairy Wind when he tried to get in close for a regular attack.

He slid backwards, flinching.

Formora avenged her friend with Shadow Ball, and as the Floette recovered from the blow Kia landed a successful Sonic Boom this time, The Floette vanished, and they descended.

 **B7F**

"You've only told us a little bit about Celestial Spire and Arceus, Formora," Kia said as they moved through the floor. "Tell us everything!"

Formora sighed, but acquiesced. She told them all about the dungeon, from the appearance to the Pokemon to the pinnacle. She also warned them not to say Giratina or Arceus' names out loud, and also asked their opinion on Giratina's stance on Reviver Seeds.

After a few moments, the boys agreed it would be much more fun to beat their foes with brute force and teamwork rather than cheat their way to victory.

 **B8F**

The Stairs were in their starting room, to their satisfaction.

 **B9F**

As always, they wasted no time in finding the Stairs. Time was of the urgency here, as there was no telling how long their quarry would remain in the dungeon.

To their annoyance, though, a Cottonee and Cutiefly double-teamed them in a small chamber.

"Move!" Formora shouted, blasting the Cutiefly with Ice Beam. Her anger gave her strength, and KO'd the stupid fairy in one hit.

She then felt herself being encapsulated by the Cottonee's Mega Drain, but she was the one who was strengthened instead.

"I have a Joy Ribbon, moron," she snapped at it, chucking a Shadow Ball at the faltered foe.

Firnen finished it off with a regular attack, and they found the Stairs a few minutes afterwards.

 **B10F**

Soon after they'd spawned they were held up in a hallway by a Cottonee and Floette. Formora stayed in the hall, and threw an Ice Beam at the Cottonee. It neatly evaded the blast, but failed to avoid Kia's Sonic Boom.

With a squeak, it bounced once on the ground before getting to its feet again.

The Floette behind it tried to help by singing a Lucky Chant, protecting the two from critical hits.

As if that would stop Formora. To prove her point, she blasted the Cottonee with a one-handed Ice Beam, and the silly Pokemon fainted instantly.

With that over, they turned their attention to the Floette. Its Lucky Chant faded away, not that Formora cared anyway.

Formora shut it up with Ice Beam, and happily tanked its angered Razor Leaf. She smiled in amusement, and allowed Kia to defeat it with Sonic Boom.

They pressed onwards, but were shortly detained again by a Swirlix.

The pink Pokemon sang a short Round. Multicolored soundwaves leaped from its mouth and onto Formora, who only raised an eyebrow.

"You're boring me," she told it as she smacked it with a slightly-boosted Shadow Ball. The Round hadn't done much to bolster her, but meh, she wasn't picky.

"Eeeee!" the Swirlix wailed as it was sent flying.

Kia caught it in his arms, and spiked it towards Firnen like a volleyball.

The laughing Fraxure punched it back to Kia, and it disappeared halfway through its flight.

They came across the Stairs ten minutes later.

 **B11F**

She couldn't explain exactly how she knew this, but something told her they were not alone on this floor.

"Someone's here with us. It might be the Lunar Wind, so keep a sharp eye out," she warned her teammates, cautiously heading down an eastern path.

This time they moved more slowly, keeping a close eye out for whoever else was with them.

Eventually, they found it. It wasn't the Lunar Wind, but a Shiny Charmander. It wore an explorer's badge, signifying it was a member of an exploration team.

A lazy smile slid across Formora's face. What fun.

"Excuse me," she said, making her voice sound timid as she approached the Charmander. "Are you an explorer?"

The Charmander, oblivious to the danger that was Team Renegade, smiled broadly and puffed out his chest, "Yup! Name's Charmander of Team Ember. And you?'

"Your worst nightmare," Kia purred as he made a crack in the earth appear in the ground. Yellow light shone from the crack, and enveloped the Charmander.

"Wahhhh!" he screamed, falling onto his back.

Formora raised her eyebrows in delight. "Earth Power! Very nice, Kia. Oh, hold on."

The Charmander was trying to stand, but a Shadow Ball from Formora knocked him unconscious. He wasn't out long, and came to just as Firnen finished binding his arms and legs. The Fraxure hoisted the wiggling captive onto his shoulder.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?!" the Charmander demanded.

"We're Dark, and you're Shiny. Figure it out. And stop struggling! You're not going anywhere, you know," Firnen told him, digging his claws into the captive's legs in warning.

"Ergh, you won't get away with this," the prisoner hissed.

"We will. Firnen, shut him up will you?" Formora said over her shoulder, already moving forward.

Firnen tied his Dragon Silk around the captive's mouth, preventing him from speaking further.

It wasn't easy, traversing a dungeon with a hostage on one's shoulder, but Team Renegade managed.

 **B12F**

The Charmander had stopped trying to break free out of Firnen's grip, at least. Hopefully he had accepted the gruesome fate awaiting him.

They hadn't taken one step inside the next room when Formora felt a Sweet Kiss gently land on her cheek.

What? Who dared fall in love with her? Why would they fall in love with her…? Her vision started to spin with confusion.

She swayed, trying to remain upright. She could no longer tell what was up and what was down. She could hear the sounds of fighting beside her, however. She tried to join in by throwing a Shadow Ball in a random direction, but she didn't hear anything to tell her that she'd hit anything.

Finally, her vision returned to normal, and as she looked around she could find no foe. It must have already been dealt with. She thought she knew who the culprit was, though.

"Togepi?" she guessed.

"Yup," Kia and Firnen chorused.

Formora sighed at the delay, and they quickly got moving again.

 **B13F**

They'd spawned with the Stairs, bringing them ever closer to their quarry.

 **B14F**

Ah, the final floor. Beyond it presumably lay the Lunar Wind if they hadn't left already.

Soon Team R would deliver the rebels and a Shiny to the base. Lord Giratina would be quite pleased. Best of all, the Light would lose valuable fighters, and Cresselia would be heartbroken over the loss.

The Lunar Wind stood no chance, not while Formora was wearing the Joy Ribbon. She was untouchable, an unstoppable force! With the Ribbon, not even the Light Champion could ever hope to match her.

Still, Formora hoped that the LW would at least try to beat her. It'd be much more satisfying to see the hope die in their eyes as they gradually realize they cannot hurt her.

Truly exquisite.

 **Enchanting Meadow**

They came to a small meadow open to the sky. The sun was shining like a diamond in the cloudless sky, and flowers grew up to four feet in the air.

Half-hidden amongst a clump of poppies was a Mismagius, Lumineon, and Weavile.

The Lunar Wind.

The three rebels looked up at their approach, and their eyes widened in both alarm and surprise.

"Team Renegade…" Selene, the Lumineon, whispered in amazement.

"How'd they know we were here?" the Weavile, Umbra, frowned.

"We must've been followed, or spotted," Luna the Mismagius scowled.

"Hello, Lunar Wind. I'm sure you know who we are and who I am. And I do hope you know why we're here," Formora smiled menacingly.

Kia tossed their bag to the side, and Firnen dropped the bound Charmander.

"They caught a Shiny," Selene growled, her fins twitching in anger.

"He's nobody. Ignore him, and focus on us," Formora cooed, gesturing grandly to her friends.

"You heartless monsters. You're going to pay," Umbra snarled, brandishing his claws.

Luna shook her head, motioning for him to stay back. "Look at her neck; she has a Joy Ribbon. We can't win this fight."

"That must be the one stolen from the District of Lorii last week," Selene deduced, her tail lashing back and forth.

Luna scowled. "We're outmatched. We have to go now!"

"No you don't," Formora started towards them as they turned to run, but Umbra threw an orb behind him.

When the orb shattered, a blinding bright light shone everywhere, forcing Formora and Team Renegade to shield their eyes against the glare.

When the light faded, the Lunar Wind were nowhere to be found.

"Luminous Orb," Firnen spat while Kia pulled out their mirror.

" **What is it? Have you found the Lunar Wind?** " Giratina's face appeared on the surface when they summoned him.

"They fled but moments ago. We'd follow, but we have a gift for Oksana," Formora shook her head, showing Giratina the struggling prisoner.

" **Leave him there; I'll have someone pick him up. Follow them,** " Giratina ordered.

"Yes sir," Team R chorused, and put the mirror away.

"Kia, track them from the sky," Formora suggested while she and Firnen started following the rebels' trail. It was quite easy, what with all of the tall flowers. Broken stems from where the trio had fled were not hard to find.

Kia agreed, and took to the sky. Formora and Firnen continued to follow the trail of trampled and broken flowers until they came to the end of the meadow, and into a flat plain.

They searched everywhere, but it was like the rebels had disappeared. There was nothing to indicate where they had gone.

"Ergh! Where'd they go?" Firnen hissed, pacing around the area.

The trail lost, they were forced to wait for Kia. Fortunately, the Vibrava did not take much longer in returning to them.

"They headed south into Firewood City, and I lost them in a crowd downtown," Kia reported, circling above their heads.

"Then that's where we go. Come on!" Formora said impatiently, breaking out into a run.

Eager to capture their enemies, the trio sped for the largest city on the continent.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Apologies for the delay; last week, me and a number of other users were struck by a weird bug that didn't let us upload anything, no matter what we tried. Fortunately, it seems to have been fixed, so here I am again! :D Of course, from now on I'll always be apprehensive whenever I upload anything...**

 **In any case, the next post will include: memories of the past, a Pokemon that knows too much, and a career ruined.**


	19. Chapter 19

The trio reached the city in good time. It was only dusk when they arrived at the city's gates, but most of the remaining light was blocked by Firewood's skyscrapers, giving off the illusion of nighttime.

Formora grimaced as she took in the sights. The skyscrapers here weren't as tall as the ones back in Castelia, but they still loomed ominously like prison guards, and the populace below were the prisoners. How did they not go crazy, boxed in all the time by these ever-present towers? Ugh, the sooner Team Renegade got through with this mission, the better.

Firewood was much like Castelia for the most part. Tiny shops were squeezed in between towering buildings, there was a horrid odor due to thousands of bodies living together in close proximity, and worst of all, there were Pokemon _everywhere,_ despite the late hour.

Hundreds of Pokemon were moving in all directions in the streets without a care for their surroundings. If a path wasn't available, then they'd make one, pushing and shoving past their neighbors until they reached their destination.

She felt her skin prickle, and she held her arms close to her chest. Memories were flooding back to her unbidden, memories that were best left forgotten. This city reminded her too much of Castelia, of the four years she spent homeless. The four years she spent balancing precariously between life and death. That aspect she hadn't minded, actually. She got a wild thrill struggling to remain alive.

The fact was, she would have _enjoyed_ her years on her own if she hadn't been stuck in a dirty, noisy, claustrophobic cesspit of a city. She'd tried to leave Castelia once when she was fifteen. She soon found that the northern desert was too much for her to handle, and she couldn't swim, so the southern ocean was out. She could never bring herself to cross Skyarrow Bridge to the east. She wasn't sure why, but for some reason she didn't trust bridges at all. She was always apprehensive of their giving way as she tried to cross, and as most of them were over water…Well, there was no way she would risk drowning. If she could avoid having to cross a bridge, she'd do it.

"Hey, look at that!" Kia's exclamation broke through Formora's misgivings.

She looked to where he was pointed, and spotted a Purrloin scaling an apartment building nearby. She raised her eyebrows. That Purrloin wore no safety gear, and was seemingly climbing the building just for fun.

"1,000 Poké to the first person to shoot it down," she said, still watching the thrillseeker.

With a gleeful holler, Kia and Firnen quickly shot their Sonic Boom and Dragon Rage at the Purrloin, who was about a third of the way up the building.

Kia's attack landed first, and with a horrified cry the Purrloin fell to the concrete ground below. Team R hurried into an alley, not stopping to watch it land. It would be to their disadvantage if someone sic'd the police on them right now.

"Nicely done," Formora nodded to Kia, peering out from the alley. None of the pedestrians were raising an alarm, so the trio appeared to be safe.

"Don't we share a bank account?" Firnen grumbled, pouting.

"Mmm. Kia gets 1,000 Poké to do whatever he wants with," Formora amended the reward.

"Splendid! So, where do you think the Lunar Wind is? It'd take forever to search this entire city," Kia inquired as Formora returned to the street.

An idea came to her, "I know where I'd be. Take me to the busiest place. And put away your Vibra Scarf. Don't need anyone recognizing us."

Kia and Formora tucked away their Joy Ribbon and Vibra Scarf. Firnen's Dragon Silk was still tied around the mouth of the Shiny Charmander. The boys, having visited Firewood City before, led her to the Main Street Plaza, where Pokemon rested in the park or went about their business as usual.

Formora focused on the Pokemon that were walking. Dim light such as this would bring at least one of them out. She'd done it countless times before at twilight.

"Whatcha looking for, Lady Formora?" Firnen asked curiously, watching her scan the pedestrians.

She spotted one. "Aha! Watch him," she said, nodding discreetly to a Fennekin jogging down the street. She instantly knew who his target would be. Up ahead, a Delcatty carrying a large purse was ambling down the street, stopping occasionally to peer inside a shop window.

Her teammates watched in confusion, while Formora watched in amusement as the jogger stumbled when he passed the Delcatty. He thrust out a steadying hand, catching her purse. He righted himself, and apologized when the Delcatty screeched in surprise. The jogger apologized again, and resumed his pace.

Formora nodded, impressed. She hadn't even seen his hand reach into her purse and grab her money. He was pretty good.

The Delcatty moved along, oblivious to the game that was just played on her. The boys made 'Ohhhh I get it now' sounds as the trio watched the Fennekin put away his prize.

"Follow him," Formora said, breaking out into a run after the Fennekin.

Stealthily, Team R trailed the fleeing Fennekin through five alleys, until finally he came to a stop in front of an abandoned convenience store. He crawled through a hole in the side of the store, and disappeared inside.

"Shall we break in?" Kia suggested, readying a Dragon Breath. Formora held him back.

"No. It's best if I do this alone. I know how to handle this. Wait here," she said, going to the back of the building.

She studied the old brick wall in front of her.

 _I wonder…_ she mused, willing herself to phase through the wall. She didn't know if this power worked outside of dungeons, but it was certainly worth a shot.

As a matter of fact, it did. She effortlessly walked through the wall, and reappeared inside of the store. It didn't take long for her to find the Fennekin. She could hear voices coming from the front of the shop. She made her way to the source of the noises, and found the Fennekin gloating over his earnings with an emaciated Nidoran and a bedraggled-looking Meowth. Strangely, though, the Meowth was colored periwinkle instead of cream. It wasn't the Shiny coloration, so what caused this odd deformity?

"1,063 Poké! I struck big today!" the Fennekin said happily, showing his prize to the others.

"Nice job you did, too. I didn't even see you steal it, and I was watching," Formora said idly, stepping into view.

The trio whipped their heads around to face her, fear and wariness apparent in their expressions.

For a second, the trio disappeared and Formora saw herself, back when she was a human. That half-starved, hateful girl that trusted nothing…

She blinked, and the three street kids reappeared.

"Who are you?! How'd you spot me?!" the Fennekin, who seemed to be the leader, demanded. His fur rose, making him appear bigger and more intimidating. Formora, however, was not intimidated.

"'Cause I used to be one of you a few months ago. Stealing things just to survive, never knowing when my next meal would be," Formora flapped a hand, shrugging. "I know a pickpocket when I see one. And you, sir, are an excellent one."

The trio only relaxed their guard the tiniest fraction. "Who _are_ you?" the Fennekin snarled, his tail lashing back and forth.

"I'm Formora. Like I said, I used to be homeless too. For four-" she winced at her least favorite number, "-years, actually. Though, the fourteen before those weren't much better. Mom abandoned the family, Dad refused to acknowledge my existence. Most of the time I was locked in my room. No heat, no water, no electricity, no nothing."

"An' how'd you magically change that?" the Meowth snorted derisively, crossing his arms.

Formora smiled. "I was recruited by the Dark. See, the boss man knows what it's like to be unloved, and a lot of the members come from similar backgrounds like ours. He gave me a chance to change my life, and I took it. Now I'm actively working to make sure that Pokemon like us get a better life while those that seek to keep you homeless are struck down. Ever hear of WaterAll?"

"...Yeah. They paid for all da water fountains in da parks, but lately they've been concerned wi' their own pockets than keepin' 'em fixed,," the Meowth grumbled, spitting on the concrete floor in distaste.

"We haven't had good water in days…" the little Nidoran murmured in a scratchy voice before breaking out into a coughing fit.

"Mm. Well, four of my colleagues are here to remind the higher-ups of their duty to the people. Pretty soon, those fountains will run again. Permanently," Formora promised.

The Fennekin narrowed his eyes at her. "...For true?"

"As true as the moon," Formora nodded.

 _Though Cresselia's as false as they come,_ she thought. But saying that wouldn't get the kids to do what she wanted, so she kept silent.

The kids shared a collective glance with one another, and one by one they relaxed.

"Good. It's near impossible to find clean water here. Everything's so dirty, and as you know, we don't have much money. I'm Fennekin, by the way, and that's Elya and Brandt," Fennekin nodded to his two companions.

"Gotcha. What caused your colors? They're not Shiny colors," Formora asked Brandt. If she had to take him back after the mission, so be it.

The Meowth grimaced. "Yeah, I heard you Dark Pokemon are lookin' for Shinies. But I'm not Shiny. I'm from da Summer Isles down south. All Meowths there are blue. We adapted due ta bein' spoiled by da monarchy. Turned us inta dark-types, it did."

The Summer Isles? She'd never heard of that place before. She made a note to ask Kia and Firnen about it later, but nodded like she understood. "Ah, that makes more sense."

"So, what are you here for, if you're not gonna hurt us or turn us in?" Fennekin asked.

Back to the matter at hand.

Formora crossed her arms, scowling. "Me and my team, we're here because three Pokemon are somewhere in this city. These three Pokemon are part of the Light, the side that wants to keep things as they were and ignore all of the poverty and despair. My team and I tracked them here, but we lost them. When I saw you, Fennekin, I figured that street kids would know the city better than us. I have a proposition for you three: help me find my target, and I'll help you survive. Elya's not doing too great, is she?" she asked, gesturing to the sickly toddler.

The older kids paused, and as Formora knew they would they readily agreed to the deal. Fennekin and Brandt needed food and medicine for Elya real soon, and it was obvious to Formora that they cared about her. Getting them to do her bidding was hardly a challenge.

"Excellent. You three have money for today, and maybe tomorrow, but you'll need lots more after that. Focus on buying medicine first, and tomorrow I'll treat you three to a buffet. Or," she added as an afterthought, "when I'm done with my mission, you could join the Dark. Joining costs nothing, and we turn none away." She might have to arrest Brandt, but that was a problem for another time.

"...We'll think on it. Now, who are you looking for?" Fennekin asked.

Formora explained to them of the Lunar Wind, of their names and species. The trio agreed to keep an ear out, and would ask their other homeless friends to help in the search.

Fennekin gave Formora directions to a small hotel hardly anyone knew about, and would update her on their progress tomorrow. He instructed her to meet them at a cafe across the street from the hotel. Formora agreed, and returned to her friends outside.

"How'd it go?" Kia inquired from on top of a broken street lamp. He was perched calmly on it, balancing perfectly.

Formora grinned. "We have the homeless out looking for the Lunar Wind for us. Follow me, I'll tell you all about it."

As Formora led the boys to the hotel, she told them about her conversation and deal with the three street kids.

"The Meowth said he was from a place called the Summer Isles. Where's that?" she asked after she'd finished.

"The Summer Isles are an archipelago wayyyyy down south from this continent. It's named so because of the year-round tropical climate. Some Pokemon there, like Meowth, have undergone strange adaptations due to the unique environment. Ah, but I would love to visit one day," Kia explained, sighing in bliss.

"Hm. Are we to capture these changed Pokemon?" Formora wanted to know.

Just then, there was the sound of a distant explosion. Team R paused, but no other explosions came.

"...That was weird. Anyway, I don't believe so. Last I knew, we leave Summerians alone," Firnen shook his head. Well, at least that was one possible problem dealt with. They'd no way to keep a captive here, and kidnapping Brandt would turn Fennekin and Elya against them.

Team R soon reached the hotel, and Formora instructed her teammates to act nervous and scared. The boys were confused, but put on the act. Formora did as well, and entered the hotel.

"Hello! Here to spend the night?" the concierge, a perky Quilladin, beamed at them.

Formora looked around nervously. "U-um, yes…"

"Is everything alright, miss?" the Quilladin asked concernedly.

Formora approached the desk, looking around as if to make sure no one was listening, and said in a low voice, "Not really...My friends and I, we-I think we're being followed…"

"Whatever for?"

"A few days ago we...um, took down an outlaw...and I think that outlaw had friends. Ever since, we've been seeing strange Pokemon following us. I think *whimper* I think they want to hurt us," Formora's lip trembled, and she held her arms close to her chest.

The Quilladin's eyes widened. "That's awful! Don't worry, you'll be safe here. Do you know who's following you?"

"Um, I'm not sure exactly...but I think a Weavile is one of them…" Formora looked away.

"I've seen a Lumineon too, and I'm pretty sure there's a Mismagius around as well," Kia added softly, not making eye contact.

"There may be more, but those are the three that we've noticed so far...can you really keep us safe here?" Formora whispered, looking pleadingly up into the Quilladin's eyes with her own tear-filled ones.

The Quilladin squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Of course. I'll tell security to keep an eye out. And if anyone comes around asking for you three, I'll say I haven't seen you."

"Oh, could you let us know if anyone does too?" Formora asked, nibbling on a finger.

"Of course, miss," the Quilladin smiled.

Formora breathed a sigh of relief. " _Thank you_. We...we haven't been able to sleep soundly. How much for a room? One near the stairs but away from the elevators?"

"Don't worry about the fee. Here. Room 216," the Quilladin said, giving her a key.

Formora kept her face still, but inside she was laughing. "Oh...sir, you are most kind. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts."

"It's no trouble. Enjoy your stay," the Quilladin beamed as Team R cautiously went up to their room.

The trio held the act until Formora locked their door, then all three burst into a fit of giggles.

"That was _amazing!_ How'd you know he'd give us a room for free?" Firnen guffawed.

Formora smiled slyly. "I wasn't 100% certain on it, but there was a good chance. And now we'll have an alert if the Lunar Wind are sniffing around here for us."

She looked out the window. "Mm, it's getting late. I'll make our report to our leader if you two want to get ready for bed."

She took out their mirror, and summoned Giratina. " **Yes? What do you have to report, Formora?"**

"We're in Firewood City, but we haven't caught up to the Lunar Wind. We have the street kids on the lookout for them, and we'll do more searching tomorrow. ...There might be an influx of homeless Pokemon coming to join us soon. I told them about our cause," she reported.

" **The LW have fled to Firewood City? ...You may search for them, but** _ **do not**_ **confront them. They undoubtedly know the city better than you three. Team Lev are in the city too; I will have them contact you. Your mission now is to gather information on their whereabouts, and pass it along to Team Lev,"** Giratina ordered.

Formora was sad they had to stay on the sidelines, but on the other hand the sooner she left this stupid city, the better.

"Very well. By the way, one of the street kids is a Meowth from the Summer Isles. Shall I apprehend him?" she asked, glad she remembered just in time.

" **No. We are only after Shinies. There are** _**very**_ **few Summerians on this continent, and if the Light's Chosen was one they'd practically be a beacon. No, ignore any Summerians you come across,** " Giratina shook his head.

He signed off, and Formora promptly went to bed.

* * *

 _It's the dead of winter, and she's cold_. _The clothes she has do nothing to keep her warm. As snow lightly falls all around her, she stumbles into an alley. She's become numb to everything around her. Her teeth have even stopped chattering. But most of all, she's_ so tired _. Her muscles are slow to respond to her desire to move, and the tiny bits of ice in her eyelashes have frozen her left eye shut. If she were stronger, she could have pried her eye open, but right now all she wants is to go to sleep._

 _She manages to find a pile of untouched snow, and clumsily makes her way to it. She curls up on the pile. She just needs a few minutes of rest, and then she'd focus on finding shelter. Just five minutes…_

 _She's warm now. No longer does she feel the sting of the winter chill, and the snowflakes that land on her cheek are like gentle caresses._

 _She smiles, and her cracked lips begin to bleed. She doesn't notice._

 _She only closes her eyes, and goes to sleep._

Formora sat up, gasping wildly. She gazes around, wondering just where she is. She doesn't recognize this place! This wasn't Castelia City!

Then she remembered everything.

Slowly, she put her head in her hands, sighing bitterly. It would make sense that she'd have a nightmare in this awful place.

She looked over, and saw that the boys were still asleep. The clock on the wall read 6:03. She sighed again, and quietly got up. There was no way she'd be able to go back asleep.

As she prepared for the day, she thought back to the dream, which was actually a memory.

She'd forgotten that day. It was the next day she remembered more of. She'd woken up in the hospital, having been found just in time by a couple walking next to the alley. They'd brought her to the hospital, and even offered to adopt her. But she'd ran away before she could give them an answer. She valued her freedom more than anything else.

That's been almost three years ago. The day she'd woken up was December 12th.

Her sixteenth birthday.

Formora thrust the memory away, and waited for her friends to wake up.

* * *

The three street kids met the trio at the cafe across the street in the morning, just like they said they would. Fennekin reported that all of Firewood's homeless were now on the lookout for the Lunar Wind, and that it was only a matter of time before they were found.

Formora was impressed by how quickly the three kids had mobilized their friends, and gladly gave them 1,500 Poké.

"Go treat yourselves. You deserve it," she said, waving them off.

With a happy squeal, the trio scampered off.

"Good to know our Champion's the charitable sort," she heard a silky voice behind her.

She didn't turn as she replied, "They deserved some fun. You four sure found us fast."

Team Leviathan came into her view. "Oh, we're staying at the same hotel, actually. Out of the way, good tactical position, and best of all the continental breakfast includes danishes," Fiona continued.

Formora raised an eyebrow. "Huh, that makes communications easier. How goes your mission?"

"Oh, it's almost over. Last night we broke into the charity's HQ, and we found some incriminating records in the CEO's office. The usual stuff; financial records that don't match, money missing from various departments...fun stuff. Then we got caught by nighttime security, but Fi provided a distraction and we got away," Jes reported.

"Yeah, that 'distraction' meant 'blow up a storage room', because Little Miss Psycho here has a PhD. in explosives!" Axel stormed, glaring at Fiona.

"What can I say? I'm a girl of many talents~" the Milotic winked. Ah, so _that_ was the cause of yesterday's mystery explosion.

"In any case," Westley cut in, " _He Who Is_ said you need us?"

"Yes, the Lunar Wind are here somewhere in the city. We have the homeless out looking for them, but we're not allowed to say hi. That'll be up to you four," Formora said, sipping a glass of apple juice.

Team Lev stared at her. "Um...yeah, if you three had confronted them you would've fallen into a trap," Jes said slowly.

This was news. "Explain," Formora demanded.

"See, there are ways of getting past a Joy Ribbon. Pain Split, for example, or Perish Song. Both of which Luna knows. Or, if you like women, Selene can disarm you with Attract. If Umbra can snag the Ribbon of you, then one Embargo will ensure you won't be using it again anytime soon. So, yeah, they could have easily fought you and stood a chance. Yet they flee here," Westley explained.

Team R scowled in unison.

"Look, they don't know about us. We'll see what kind of trap they were planning if you'll help us with the last part of our mission," Jes handed Formora a large envelope. Formora peeked inside, and found a bunch of documents.

"Those are the financial records we stole from WaterAll. We were going to leak them to the press. These should be enough to cause the CEO to resign. We did some digging, and he's the only one who got greedy. Everyone else only want to help the less fortunate. If you can hand those over to the Firewood Journal, our mission will be done," Jes continued.

Formora handed Kia the envelope, and he put it away. "Should be easy enough. Say, where are Team Miasma? Weren't they needed here?"

"No, they were sent up to Verde Town. It's over on the northern coast. Apparently the mayor's been _very_ naughty and driving the taxes up skyhigh. Many people have gone out of business, and almost everyone's jobless. So, Team Miasma were sent to make an example of the mayor, to show what will happen to anyone else who wants to beggar their town," Fiona explained.

"Ah. When shall we meet next?" Formora asked.

"Let's meet back here at three. We'll let your street kid friends know we're with you," Fiona explained.

"Sounds good. Good luck," Formora nodded as the seven stood.

Westley gave Team Renegade the address to the Firewood Journal office, and both teams set out.

* * *

Now that it was daytime, not a speck of the street was visible due to the overabundance of pedestrians walking this way and that. Indeed, Formora couldn't even hear herself think over the noise of hundreds of conversations going on at once.

"-We should be going-"

"-Yeah, I got tomatoes yesterday-"

"- _Whati?!_ You're kidding!-"

"-Mulder, what you are suggesting is scientifically impossible!-"

"-Should we go for dinner tonight?-"

By the time they arrived at the newspaper office, Formora was a hair's breadth away from screaming. She took a moment to dispel her rage, and once she could see past her fury she turned to Kia.

"You two go inside and see if we can just hand these over to the head of the paper. I'll be busy preparing in case they refuse to see you," she said. There was a uniform store two blocks away. They passed it on the way here.

"What do you have planned?" Kia inquired, pulling out the envelope with the documents.

Formora only smiled. "Nothing too special. Now go, we have work to do."

The trio split up, and Formora entered the uniform store. Rows upon rows of colorful clothes greeted her. There were nurse's scrubs, police uniforms, fast food uniforms; all manner of clothes.

She browsed through the store, and quickly found what she was looking for. She actually paid for the shirt instead of shoplifting it; stealing would require planning, and she did not have time to waste doing so.

She met her friends outside the newspaper office. By the looks on their faces, they were not successful.

"They said the publisher was too busy to meet with us," Kia said glumly. He nodded to the bag Formora carried. "What's in there?"

She smiled, and put on the shirt she bought. It was a messenger's uniform, and with the envelope Formora appeared as a normal postal worker.

"Tada! This is how I'll meet with the publisher. Do you happen to know their name?"

"Uh...Jean, I think?" Firnen shrugged.

"Perfect. Wait here. I won't be long," Formora said as she entered the news office.

"Hi! How may I help you?" the receptionist, a petite Natu, smiled up at her.

Formora smiled back. "Hello, I'm looking for a-" she pretended to check the name on the envelope, "-Jean? Got a package for her."

"Oh! Her office is three doors down the hall and to the right," the Natu said, pointing a wing to a cramped hallway.

"Thanks," Formora called back as she headed down the corridor.

 _Sucker._

She found the publisher's office, and knocked on the door, announcing that she had a delivery. The door opened, revealing a cluttered office. Just about everything was covered in papers. In the middle of the mess was a Clefairy busy arranging photographs on a newspaper template.

"You have a delivery for me?" Jean asked, peering at Formora over circular glasses.

Formora smiled, and shut the door, standing guard in front of it so the Clefairy couldn't leave. "Oh, I do. I have something I think you might be interested in."

Jean paused, then frowned. "What is this? I'm very busy!"

Formora threw the envelope at her. Jean caught it, and looked inside warily, as if the contents would bite her.

"That envelope contains the financial records of the WaterAll charity. If you look at them you'll notice that the sums don't add up. Further digging will reveal that the CEO is using donation money to make himself richer. I'm sure the people would _love_ to know that their kindness is being used to make someone's bank account fatter," Formora said, examining her fingers.

Jean stared at her. "How did you come by these?" she asked warily.

"Friends who wanted the truth to be revealed gave them to me. It doesn't matter. If you want, you can do your own investigation. I don't care, as long as word gets out and the CEO is fired," Formora shrugged.

"Why should I believe you?" Jean demanded, crossing her arms.

"Because, eventually, at some point, word will get out. It could be tomorrow, or even years from now. But, if the Firewood Journal puts the story out tomorrow, people will see you as the most reliable source of news. Whenever something happens, the Firewood Journal is always the first one to report the facts. And with something like this? Your subscriber count will increase tenfold as people flock to the most trustworthy newspaper in all of Firewood City," Formora said, leaning forward.

Jean paused for a few moments.

"...I'll think about it. Now, please leave me to my work," the Clefairy said eventually.

"Done," Formora replied as she left the office.

"How'd it go?" Firnen asked as she left the building.

She shrugged. "She'll publish it. She said she has to think about it, but she'll do it."

She then spotted a Simisage with a large gold earring walking down the street, eating out of a large bag of popcorn. Coming from the opposite direction was a Nidoking in a policeman's uniform. The officer was out on patrol, it seemed.

She smiled. "Wait here," she said as she ran up to the officer.

"Officer!" she cried, making tears come to her eyes as she tugged pitifully on the Nidoking's arm.

"That Simisage, h-he-" she blubbered, pointed to the Simisage wandering down the street. "He assaulted m-my friend earlier and *hic* took her earrings! He's wearing one o-of them right now!"

"He did, eh? Not on my watch," the Nidoking growled as he took out his baton and sped for the unknowing Simisage.

"Hey! Stop right there!" the officer shouted. The Simisage, having no idea why a bulky officer was speeding towards him, turned and fled in the opposite direction, dropping his bag of popcorn in the process.

The Nidoking chased after the unfortunate Pokemon, and Formora grabbed the discarded bag and popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth. She caught her friends staring at her.

"What? I wanted his popcorn," she shrugged. "Now let's go back to the hotel. I want to get out of this stuffy shirt."

* * *

The time came to meet up with Team Lev back at the cafe. The four were pleased to hear of Team Renegade's success, and reported their own findings.

"We found the trap the LW intended for you. You were supposed to have followed them into a pro-Light bar, where Mimikyu would lie in wait to ambush you. Not the most fool-proof of plans, but it's adequate," Jes told the trio.

"Mimikyu?" Formora frowned in confusion.

"You haven't heard of-never mind, that's right. Mimikyu. He used to be part of Lady Lunala's court, but defected and became one of Cresselia's agents. He's adept at disguises, and right now he's sitting in that bar dressed as a Grimer. Snob, posh prick's incredibly good at being a wallflower. Anyway, if you three had entered he would have snuck up behind you and knocked you right out. We plan on going back there and catching _him_ instead. He should be able to direct us to the Lunar Wind," Fiona informed the group.

As she recalled, Mimikyus were ghost/fairy-types. Formora did not envy the team of water-types.

"You three have fun," she said as Team Lev left the cafe.

Fennekin approached them a moment later.

"Those four are the ones you said are helping us with water, right? Good. Anyway, our friend Elekid found someone you may want to talk to. He found a Raichu who knows why the Lunar Wind are here," he informed.

They already knew why the LW were here, but any friend of the LW was an enemy of Team R. They got the location of the Raichu from Fennekin, and set off to find him.

Fennekin directed them to a small bar on the edge of town. The only patrons aside from the bartender were a Sceptile, and Raichu, who was seated at a booth near the back.

Formora sidled on up next to him, saying in a sultry voice, "I hear you know why the Lunar Wind are here."

The Raichu whipped around, and upon seeing that he was surrounded, slumped in defeat.

"A Froslass, a Vibrava, and a Fraxure. Team Renegade. Look, let me save you the trouble of taking me back to your base. I've no desire to have my fingers cut off or whatever else that psycho Eelektross likes to do. I'm waiting here for the Lunar Wind to give me my next assignment," he sighed.

"What do you do? And why are they here?" Formora asked, summoning a small Shadow Ball under the table in warning.

The Raichu saw it, and bit his lip. "I collect information on your doings. Whenever the Dark attacks someone, I help report it to Xerneas. The LW are here because Mimikyu-do you know him? Great-has information for me, but has to leave the city….half an hour ago. They were going to give his information to me so I can use it. Happy now?"

"What about us? We were told the LW planned to lead us into a trap with Mimikyu," Kia demanded.

"Whoever told you that was wrong. The LW were scrambling to make their appointment with Mimikyu, so they'd no time to entrap anyone. Mimikyu always has one ear to the ground, so it's possible he knew of your arrival and decided to make the most of it. Can I go now, since I was so forthcoming?" Raichu asked.

Formora ended the Shadow Ball. "Of course. Thank you, Raichu." she said sweetly.

They left the bar, and ran straight into Team Lev.

"Mimikyu's gone! The little bastard left by the time we got there, and no one knew where he went!" Fiona stormed, pacing around angrily.

"Turns out the LW weren't originally planning on leading us into a trap. They were actually struggling to make their appointment with him, so that's why they fled here. Mimikyu learned that we were here, and figured he might as well take us out if we happened to show up at the meeting," Formora informed the four.

She jerked her head toward the bar. "There's a Raichu in there who works as an intelligence-gatherer for Xerneas. LW are going to give Mimikyu's info to him pretty soon. What shall we do?"

In the end, the seven decided to get Giratina's opinion. In an alley behind the bar, Kia brought out the mirror, and soon Giratina's visage appeared.

" **Yes?"** he inquired. Teams R and Lev brought him up to speed.

" **Team Renegade, bring the Raichu back to base. We can get more information from him. Team Leviathan, stay in Firewood and set up an ambush for the Lunar Wind when they come to meet with Raichu. I wasn't aware that Mimikyu was around, but now that he's gone there's no use trying to find him. He's skilled at disappearing without a trace. Go to your duties now,"** he instructed, then vanished from the mirror.

Finally, they were about to leave the city!

"So, how shall we catch the Raichu without the police being called?" Axel began as the back door to the bar opened.

The Raichu walked out, and froze when he saw the seven.

Jes swiftly tackled him to the ground, and a powerful blow to the back of the Raichu's neck ensured that the electric-type was unable to fight back.

"Well! You three have fun. I expect we'll be back with the LW soon," Fiona giggled once the fight had ended.

Team R said goodbye to Team Lev, and began dragging the unconscious Raichu back to base.

* * *

It was slow going, and the sun had almost set by the time the trio returned back to the mountaintop compound. They delivered the Raichu to the dungeon, and trudged on up to the cafeteria.

"Oh! Formora! You're back! What kinds of adventures did you go on?" As soon as Formora got in line, Pikipek got all up in her personal space.

Angrily, she pushed the kid away. "Classified. Beat it."

"Oh, another time, then! Got it!" Pikipek nodded before zooming off.

Formora shook her head in annoyance.

After dinner, she took a long, silent bath that drained away all of her hatred for Firewood City and left her relaxed and ready for her next assignment.

As soon as her head hit her pillow, she was out like a light.

* * *

 **Moral of this post: always make sure your donations aren't actually lining someone's pockets, friends. And I hope you guys are keeping tabs on all the latest Sun &Moon info, otherwise you'll be very confused XD**

 **By the way, I'm curious: should I stop including music, or no?**

 **The next update shall include: a seagreen sea full of seafoam, a** _ **VERY**_ **bad choice, and a...coincidental duo.**


	20. Chapter 6 The Missing Lake Trio

**Chapter 6. The Missing Lake Trio**

* * *

Something was tugging at her throat.

Bleary, she blinked open her eyes, and jumped in surprise. Pikipek was _right_ in her face, pulling her wonderful Joy Ribbon off of her neck.

Wait, what?

He jumped back too, not expecting her to wake, probably. Frantically, he scrambled for her window, which was mysteriously open, even though she normally kept it shut,

What was he doing in her room, and more importantly what was he doing with her Joy Ribbon?!

"HEY!" she shouted, clumsily throwing an Ice Beam at the retreating Pikipek as he dove out of her window. Having just been roused from sleep, her aim was way off, and instead her loveseat became covered in ice.

Orzhova, her nighttime bodyguard, burst in the room.

"What is it?!" the Cinccino demanded.

"Pikipek! He stole my Ribbon!" Formora roared, racing to look out her window. By the height of the moon, it was only an hour or two after midnight. She couldn't see the soon-to-be-dead bird, but she could see the dark silhouettes of the nighttime aerial guard.

"Hey!" she yelled at them as they flew past her window. "Your stupid trainee just stole my Joy Ribbon! Catch him for crying out loud!"

The sky squad sounded the alarm, and one or two of them swooped down towards the ocean.

She shut her window with a slam, muttering curses under her breath.

"Stupid, lazy guards who can't do their freaking jobs properly...None of them will ever be on duty while I'm asleep again…"

There seemed to be no other threat, so she went down to the cafeteria to wait for the traitor's capture.

* * *

She didn't have to wait long for Pikipek to be apprehended. He was held aloft by Jace's Psychic, unable to move. The Alakazam brought him to Giratina and Formora, and released him from his hold. Kiora came forward too, bringing with her a torn-to-shreds Joy Ribbon. Upon seeing her precious Ribbon destroyed, Formora felt something snap in her head.

"There was a pair of scissors next to where we found him and the Ribbon. He'd just finished cutting it up," the Octillery explained sourly.

Pikipek fell clumsily to the ground, scrambling to his feet once he had his wits about him.

He didn't have very many wits left. He was shaking uncontrollably, and sweat was begin to trickle down his forehead.

" **Pikipek,"** Giratina rumbled slowly. He'd appeared soon after Formora arrived. " **You've been accused of stealing the Champion of Darkness' coveted Joy Ribbon. Even you must know how incredibly,** _ **incredibly**_ **rare they are. Why, then, did you destroy it?"**

"So she couldn't have it! It would've been bad!" Pikipek burst out at once. "She's not going to abuse it anymore!"

"We searched his room. We didn't find a Lunar Wing, but it might be hidden elsewhere," Chandra reported.

" **I see. Pikipek, do you work for Cresselia?"** Giratina asked directly.

He puffed out his chest, like it was something to be _proud_ of. "Yes! She's a much more better legendary than you are! I don't care what happens to me; there are many more like me within these halls! You're not going to win!"

" **An admirable statement from one so young and tiny. The penalty for being a spy, though, is death. However, compared to all of the other spies we've uncovered you're by far the tamest. I shall let you choose your own demise. However you wish to depart the earth, it shall happen,"** Giratina mused.

Formora had to bite down hard on her tongue to keep from protesting. Her mouth soon filled with the salty tang of blood, and she forced herself to swallow. Pikipek deserved much, _much_ worse, but if Giratina had ordered it…

Not everyone kept their own opinions to themselves. Many Pokemon grumbled angrily as Pikipek thought hard.

He got a bright look on his face, then stared up at Giratina triumphantly. "I shall die...of old age! Ha! Now you can't touch me!"

" **That...That's your-o-okay. Okay. Alright then,** " Giratina said in disbelief.

He nodded, and Oksana came forward and grabbed hold of Pikipek, a hungry look in her eyes.

"Wha-what are you doing?!" he demanded.

" **You wished to die of old age, and so it shall occur. However, that doesn't mean we can't harm you until then. Oksana's going to take very good care of you for the rest of your life. Most of it will be spent in the infirmary, in agonizing pain, or both. But rest assured, you will get your wish. Goodbye,"** Giratina told him.

Formora's eyes lit up. Oooooh, this was a _much_ better punishment! She could get behind this.

"Wait! Wait! I take it back!" Pikipek screamed as the warden began to drag him away.

" **There are no takebacks here,"** Giratina said.

Once the culprit was gone, he shook his great head in bemusement. " **He could have chosen a quick and painless end, yet he wished to die of** _ **old age**_ … **?"**

"Maybe he's a masochist?" Chandra suggested.

" **I highly doubt it. Alright, everyone, this trial is over. Go back to what you were doing,"** Giratina said.

"Isn't it a better idea to keep spies around? That way, we can control what information they receive," Kiora asked, staying back.

" **Usually, yes, but at this point the more spies we kill the more of a hypocrite Cresselia becomes. And that thought amuses me. Now, if you'll excuse me…"**

Giratina turned to the mirror, and soon vanished back into his own world.

* * *

In the morning, Formora visited the dungeon after breakfast. Pikipek was quietly sobbing in a cell, and Detective Mawile was huddled in the corner of his.

Oksana was already getting started on her work, and invited Formora to join her. The Eelektross led her to the familiar chamber that held nothing but a stone slab. The Raichu she'd captured yesterday was already tied to it, a grim look on his face.

"I already told you everything! There's no need for me to get hurt!" he cried upon seeing the two women.

"Yes, you deed, and please know that I do appreciate eet. You deedn't have to make me do anything to you. But now you're useless to me, so I'm steell going to have fun. Eet wouldn't be right, setting you free unscathed. I have a reputation, you know! I can't have people theenk I'm going soft! No, you'll be set free soon, but not before I've left my mark on you," Oksana said comfortingly, patting his sweating head.

"Please don't…" the Raichu groaned.

"Ah, I'm glad you agree. Tell me, do you believe een the tooth fairy?" Oksana asked. She was holding something behind her.

The Raichu gave her a confused and wary look. "No! That's for kids. ...Why?"

In answer, Oksana showed him the thing she was holding.

It was a rusted pair of pliers.

Raichu's eyes widened, and he let out a soft moan.

"Hey, don't worry. I'll even geeve you 25 Poké."

Formora didn't get to enjoy herself with the warden for much longer, as soon Seviper hailed them, saying that Giratina was requesting Formora in the cafeteria.

When she arrived back in the refectory, Kia and Firnen were already there. Giratina's face was visible in the mirror on the back wall.

" **Ah, hello you three. I know you just returned from one yesterday, but I have an important mission for you and if possible I'd like you to begin it today,"** he greeted once they had all settled.

"But of course. What's the job?" Formora asked, smiling as she leaned back in her seat. She could take down enemies all day.

" **The Lake Trio. Like me, they too were born from Arceus, so they are also my family. Anyway, they've declared neutrality, and no matter how many emissaries I send to convince them otherwise they won't stray. I hate to think of their power being wasted, and so I'd like you three to visit them and give them one last chance to join me. If they refuse...bring them here, and I'll see if a** _ **private chat**_ **with my beloved siblings can't sway them. If they agree, also bring them here,"** their leader instructed.

Formora perked up eagerly. The Lake Trio, from what she understood, were powerful Pokemon with devastating abilities. They were the perfect challenge for someone like her…

" **Azelf, the Being of Willpower, lives in a place called Scorched Cape over on the eastern shore. You'll have to pass through a dungeon named Seafoam Sea first. Between the two dungeons, you'll see multiple gemstones that are each worth a fortune.** _ **Do not pick them up.**_ **It's a test of willpower, and if you move a gem a nearby volcano will erupt spontaneously. Once you find Azelf, be very wary of him. He's a powerful fighter, preferring to focus on damage. He can also drain the will from a person if he so chooses, and has an unshakable will,"** Giratina began.

" **Uxie, the Being of Knowledge, lives a few short miles from the Lorii District. Find a dungeon named Divine Shore, and enter it. It'll bring you to his lair, Hidden Cove. Before you get there, however, you'll find a test of knowledge. Go through the chamber with a clock draw on it, and you'll arrive at Hidden Cove. The other passageways lead to deadly traps. Uxie, if he fights you, prefers strategy and devastating combinations. He's vastly intelligent, and can also erase memories, so don't get too close to him for very long,"** he went on.

" **And finally, there's Mesprit, the Being of Emotion. She's an empath, but can also drain your emotions from you. She lives a few miles off the west coast. You'll want to find a place named Grand Wetland. After you complete the dungeon, you'll come to a boiling lake with a geyser in the center. That is the test of emotion. Jump into the lake; it's an illusion, and will take you straight into Lake Caution, where she resides. Mesprit fights more on the defensive side, and can heal any ally at great cost to herself,"** Giratina finished.

Formora nodded, saving the information for later. "Got it. We'll set out immediately."

" **Excellent. I look forward to your return,"** Giratina said proudly before vanishing.

The trio got their bag ready, and Formora brought out her Froslass Bow to replace the lost Joy Ribbon. She missed her Ribbon, but the Bow would help too.

Kia and Firnen's items were being washed, and they'd no time to wait for them to finish. So, only Formora held an item as they traveled down the mountain.

"Let's see...Seafoam Sea is the closest to the island. Shall we start there?" Kia suggested, looking at their map.

"Sounds good," Formora agreed, peering over Kia's shoulder. "Hm, we'll need a boat or something."

"If you guys'll wait at the beach I can see if Sumatra will take us," Firnen offered.

"Yes, please do," Formora nodded.

Firnen raced back up the mountain while Kia and Formora waited patiently at the beach.

Team Terra's Lapras arrived soon, with Firnen riding on her back.

"Today is our day off, so I can take you out to sea. Where do you wish to go?" Sumatra inquired as Formora climbed onto her back. Kia declined, saying he'd fly instead.

"Seafoam Sea," he said, showing her the dungeon on the map.

"Very well. I can get there in two hours."

* * *

 **Seafoam Sea ( watch?v=Xq-8nVAVXOA)**

Sumatra led them to a watery dungeon about a mile off the eastern coast. The water here was seagreen, and one could see all the way to the bottom of the ocean. Directly below them was the dungeon. A few feet below the water were the telltale shadows that marked a dungeon entrance.

"We have arrived. Shall I wait for you?" Sumatra inquired.

Formora considered it, then shook her head. "From the sound of it, Scorched Cape is on land. This dungeon will probably lead to a beach. Thanks, though."

"It's no trouble. Good luck, and may you bring back either an ally or traitor," Sumatra nodded.

Team R agreed, and jumped in. What appeared to be water over the entrance was actually an illusion, and they passed harmlessly into the dungeon.

 **B1F**

The floor of the watery was comprised of sand, and was covered by a few inches of seagreen water, Some shells and seaweed were scattered haphazardly across the floor. The smooth walls were made of coral, and around the edges there were deeper pools of water, colored a darker shade of seagreen. The scent of salt was heavy in the air.

"Ooh, the water's warm," Firnen said in delight, enjoying the temperature.

Formora was less impressed. There was too much of the sea in here for her comfort. She'd always made it a point to stay far away from water if she had to.

At least they'd arrived with the Stairs.

 **B2F**

A Corsola had spawned with them. It began by protecting itself from critical hits with Lucky Chant, but failed to protect itself from Formora's Shadow Ball.

With a cry, it was flung directly into Kia's path. He bathed it in his Dragon Breath, and Firnen was quick to end it with Dragon Claw as it fell.

Too easy.

Formora smirked, and turned to head for an exit. What she found, however, was another Corsola.

She blinked, surprised, and the pink Pokemon took the chance to summon a glowing white ball of energy. It threw the Ancient Power at her, and she was too slow to evade.

The ball slammed into her mercilessly, and she sucked in a pained breath as she was knocked onto the floor, creating a larsh splash as she did. The sand, at least, cushioned her fall.

Upon realizing that she was in the water, Formora scrambled back to a standing position. She scowled at the Corsola, and threw a Shadow Ball at it. It leaped neatly out of the way, straight into Firnen's awaiting arms.

He raked it cruelly across the face with Dragon Claw, and pushed it backwards.

As the Corsola recovered from the blow, the earth opened up underneath it. The foe was then bathed in yellow light, and it gave a brief scream before it vanished.

The earth closed up again, and Formora faced Kia.

"Nice," she nodded, focusing on the exits again.

However, there was a problem. Yet _another_ Corsola had spawned with them.

This aggravated her, and she swiftly grabbed the foe and began squeezing its windpipe.

The Corsola gasped and sputtered, trying desperately to breathe. It struggled feebly, most of its efforts spent on drawing in a breath. It began readying a Spike Cannon, intent on trying to free itself. But Formora only tightened the pressure on its esophagus, and the Spike Cannon disappeared.

After a few seconds, the Corsola went limp, and vanished.

"Finally!" she muttered, heading down the northern exit.

The trio fought many more Pokemon after that, and they were only too glad when they found the Stairs.

 **B3F**

After fighting her fifth Staryu in the span of two minutes, Formora was getting annoyed.

"Does it seem like there's an overabundance of foes here?" she asked, picking up 54 Poké.

"It's Staryu's Ability, Illuminate. It makes extra Pokemon appear in dungeons," Kia explained, swiftly taking down a Remoraid.

Formora made an annoyed, exasperated groan.

"Damn Pikipek! Destroying my Joy Ribbon," she grumbled angrily, relishing in the fact that the stupid kid would be subject to Oksana for the rest of his natural life.

Arceusdamn did he deserve it. Once they were done with this mission, she'd go and pay him a beating in thanks.

 **B4F**

At least they didn't have to deal with the increased number of foes on this floor, as they'd arrived in the same room as the Stairs.

 **B5F**

Upon entering a hall, they spotted a Remoraid and Staryu heading their way. Formora vanished into the walls before the foes could spot her so she could unleash a surprise attack.

The two enemies drifted closer, until the Remoraid was near enough to attack Kia with Bubble Beam. The Vibrava dodged by taking to the air, and Firnen neatly side-stepped out of the way of the incoming attack.

Kia feinted to the left, and evaded the Remoraid's Psybeam. He swooped in, hitting the fish with Feint Attack.

The Remoraid fell to the ground for a second, then got back up, tensing itself and Focusing its Energy. Before it had the chance to avenge itself, Formora chucked a Shadow Ball at it. Not at all expecting the attack, the Remoraid vanished with a startled squeak.

Now for the Staryu. It blinked, its Illuminate Ability summoning another foe on the floor. Formora scowled, and threw another Shadow Ball at it.

Having caught on to her trick, it jumped out of the way, but fell victim to Kia's Sonic Boom midair. Firnen dove underneath it, and sent it back to Kia by punching it as it fell.

Formora sniped it away with Shadow Ball.

After a while, the trio came upon a room with a Warp Seed. They decided to pick it up, and just as they were putting it in the bag a Lileep came to greet them.

It rooted itself to the ground, literally. It dug its feet inside the ground, and began drawing energy from the nutrients in the soil.

However, this made it unable to dodge, and it made the perfect punching bag for Team Renegade. Formora gleefully smacked it with Ice Beam, and easily evaded its Ancient Power.

It tried to retaliate with another Ancient Power, but Kia quickly destroyed the ball with his Dragon Breath. He then fired another round of the attack, and the Lileep was brutally roasted.

Even with the help of Ingrain, it was failing fast. A mere uppercut from Firnen annihilated it.

 **B6F**

She was still miffed about the lost Joy Ribbon, and an intriguing thought came to her.

"If eight Joy Ribbons were lost to history, and Pikipek destroyed mine, where's the tenth Ribbon?"

"Mmm, if I were to guess, Team Siren has it," Firnen mused, knocking out a Lileep with Dragon Claw.

"Team who?"

"Whaaaaa?!" Kia and Firnen gasped, turning to face her.

"Ah, I keep forgetting you're not from here, Formora. Still, though, I'm surprised you haven't heard of them. Team Siren is a legendary team of musicians-slash-explorers. They go after only the rarest of treasures. Things like Lost Loot, Rare Fossils, Gold Thorns...They're amazing!" Kia explained.

"They're comprised of a Chimecho named Dyrim, a Jigglypuff named Ranna, and are led by Meloetta," Firnen added.

That interested Formora. "Meloetta's Light, right? Why don't we go after her?"

Kia winced. "Ooh. We could, but...they're like, _crazy_ strong. I doubt we could defeat them. And Meloetta's not _that_ big a threat. She's too focused on her career to think about hurting our cause."

Hm. It was something to think about, anyway.

 **B7F**

As soon as they stepped into a hall, they ran into a Lileep and a Corsola. The pink foe assisted by singing a Lucky Chant, and the Lileep attempted to drown Formora by soaking her in Brine. She evaded by ducking into the wall, striking it with Shadow Ball as she did.

The Lileep squeaked, and began trying to heal itself with Ingrain. However, this rooted it to the ground, and was helpless to stop Kia's subsequent Dragon Breath. A quick Ice Beam from Formora ensured that they no longer had to worry about the Lileep.

Now that the Lileep was done, all that was left was the Corsola.

It replenished its Lucky Chant, and began shooting a volley of white spikes from its appendages onto Kia and Firnen.

The boys fell back, protecting their faces from the Spike Cannon. Formora, on the other hand, merely punished the pink thing with Shadow Ball.

Its attack was interrupted, and it let out a cry as it took the blow.

It spotted her, and scowled when it saw that she was invincible. Formora threw a Powder Snow at it, and it easily evaded.

While it was smart enough to recognize an unhittable foe, it wasn't smart enough to recognize that she was merely keeping its attention focused on her.

Kia and Firnen easily took it down with a combined Feint Attack/Dragon Rage.

They found the Stairs after seventeen (!) more foes.

 **B8F**

The Stairs had spawned with them, along with a Remoraid. Fortunately, the trio were closer to the Stairs than they were to the foe.

 **B9F**

The trio spawned with a Staryu this time. The star-shaped Pokemon blinked, summoning a new enemy to the floor.

"Stop that," Formora growled, throwing a Shadow Ball at it.

It leaped out of the way, but was almost immediately struck by Kia's Dragon Breath from behind. It stumbled forward, caught off-balance.

Firnen swooped it, slashing the wobbling foe with a quick Dragon Claw, then jumping away in time to avoid its subsequent Bubble Beam.

It turned back to Formora, shooting a Swift attack at her. She easily tanked the attack, hardly feeling the blows where the stars hit her.

She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I'm bored."

A quick Shadow Ball vanquished it for good. It was impossible for an enemy to win when it had to face three ruthless opponents at once.

It hadn't been fifteen seconds when this time a Remoraid came to tangle with them in the hall they were traversing.

She evaded its Aurora Beam by taking to the wall. Kia's eyes glowed, and below the Remoraid the earth opened up. From out of the cracks the golden light of Earth Power surrounded the foe, enveloping it entirely in a fiery bath.

Once the ground closed up again, Formora rapidly took down the stunned foe with Shadow Ball.

She snorted. "Hmph, Azelf's security is severely lacking."

"I'm sure it's the test that deters any intruders. And Azelf's supposed to be proficient in battle, correct? Perhaps he overwhelms his foes with his sheer power after they've been lulled into a false sense of security," Kia suggested.

"Mmph. Maybe," Formora muttered.

"Staryu up ahead," Firnen warned from the back.

Formora looked up. "What? Oh Arceusdammit I hate these things."

Before the foe had a chance to register her presence she vanished into the wall. Thankfully, it didn't spot her, and merrily began pelting Kia with Swift.

"No," she chided it, revealing herself with a Shadow Ball to its back.

The Staryu blinked-she cursed-and stumbled right into Kia's arms. He clutched it tight, and quickly turned around so that its back was facing Firnen.

The Staryu wiggled in vain, striking Kia with Psywave. He winced, but did not let go. Firnen delivered an agonizing Dragon Claw all up and down its back for many seconds. When he finished, the Staryu disappeared without a trace.

Finally.

 **B10F**

Like on B2F, there was a Corsola in their spawn chamber. Formora did not want to have to go through that again, so this time she threw the Warp Seed they found at it.

The Corsola caught the seed in its mouth, and swallowed. Instantly, it was warped somewhere else.

Before more Corsola could spawn, Team R hurried down a random corridor.

Coincidentally, the corridor they chose led directly to the Stairs.

 **B11F**

Two Lileep had spawned with them.

At least they weren't Corsola, Formora grumbled as she threw a Shadow Ball at one of them. Her target dodged, and sent a twirling light at her.

She paused, staring at the luminous, glowing light. Her vision grew hazy then suddenly everything was upside-down.

Dammit, she'd fallen for a Confuse Ray. How pathetic of her to fall for a cheap trick like that.

She couldn't do much except try to pinpoint where the foes were by sound as she struggled to make sense of her swirling vision. She shot a Shadow Ball at what she thought a Lileep was, but heard a shriek from Firnen instead.

"Sorry," she said, deciding to just ride it out instead.

Something that felt much like Ancient Power then crashed into her, knocking her face-first into the shallow tide below. She held her breath as she hit the ground, inclining her head out of the water as fast as she could.

Once she could stand again, she released her breath, and found she could see clearly again.

One of the Lileeps was gone, and the second looked like it was one good hit away from fainting.

So, she made it faint with a surprise Shadow Ball. It was as simple as that.

Later, they finally found the Stair room. But a fierce Remoraid blocked their entry. It began by attempting to strike Formora with Bubble Beam.

Silently, she vanished into the wall next to her, rendering the attack null and void. She blasted the blue-gray fish with Shadow Ball, annoyed at its folly. Just because she was fighting in close quarters didn't mean she was at a disadvantage.

The Remoraid soon recovered, and from its mouth it shot a rainbow Psybeam at Kia instead, since Formora was practically invincible now.

Kia faltered briefly under the power of the attack, but readily got over it. He feinted left, then switched gears and instead struck the Remoraid from the right. The fishy foe was sent back a few steps, and Formora was quick to defeat it with Shadow Ball as it dealt with the blow.

Thus free from guards, they descended.

 **Seafoam Seabed**

The dungeon led them out of the water, and onto a small beach. Beyond the sand was rocky terrain, and up above a light rain began to fall. From out of the rocks came steam from vents, and the trio could spot burn marks all over the area. From the way Firnen was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot despite the rain, the ground must be heated from an underground volcano. There was a small path leading into a rocky outcropping about ten meters away, and there was a dark opening in the middle of it. That had to be the entrance to Scorched Cape.

As Giratina had said, there were gems littering the ground. The stones sparkled enticingly, daring to be picked up. But Team Renegade was aware of the trap, and ignored the gems. They climbed out of a shallow tidepool and stepped onto the beach.

However, there was one thing that Giratina had failed to mention.

A Chandelure and Gourgeist were here, eagerly staring at them.

Formora frowned, confused. Had the Litwick and Pumpkaboo evolved? No, that couldn't be right. For one, Pokemon couldn't evolve these days, and the Chandelure wasn't Shiny.

Still, though, the coincidence was uncanny.

"Chan, we have visitors~" the Gourgeist purred as Team Renegade approached the duo.

The Chandelure bowed grandly. "Indeed they have, Gour. They've intruded into our new home."

"Who are you?" Formora demanded. "Why are you here? We were told nothing about there being bosses."

"Ah, that's because we only arrived here yesterday. Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Chandelure, and this is Gourgeist. We've been searching all over the continent for a suitable dungeon to make our home," the Chandelure introduced. Another reason why these two were different: the Chandelure was male. He spoke in a charming, pleasant tone.

"We want to be dungeon bosses, see~" Gourgeist simpered. Her voice was sing-songy, and always ended with an odd lilt. "But we haven't had much success in finding a home...Then we found this place! It's so pretty, and best of all you three are here! Now we can be dungeon bosses, just like we always wanted~"

Formora snorted, and crossed her arms. "I'm surprised you haven't taken all the gems yet."

"Oh, we made that mistake yesterday," Chandelure winced. "Nearly had a heart attack when the volcano underneath us erupted, we did. Barely escaped, and then we had to go through the awful sea dungeon again. But the more you know, yes?"

"Whatever. Let us pass, or we'll be forced to make you," Formora yawned, stretching. She didn't really want to delay the mission, but on the other hand it would be fun to punish these two for their idiocy.

Gourgeist's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Finally, a challenge! No, we'll never let you go! Not without a fight~!"

Formora rolled her eyes.

"Your mistake, not mine."

 **Boss Battle ( watch?v=lVwstM4vZC8)**

 **Weather Condition: Rain**

 _At least the rain will weaken Chandelure,_ Formora thought as she eyed the chandelier warily. A fire/ghost such as him was a severe threat to her, and she didn't know how strong he was.

Only one way to find out.

She threw a Shadow Ball at him, curious to see how'd he respond. Chandelure blocked the attack with a wide volley of fire that destroyed the purple sphere.

As soon as the attacks canceled each other, though, she threw another Shadow Ball at him while Kia and Firnen beside her tangled with Gourgeist.

This time, Chandelure wasn't prepared, and buckled underneath the blow.

She nodded in satisfaction. He had some battle experience, but ultimately she was stronger.

Good to know.

Something that wasn't rain hit her head, and fell to the ground. When she bent down to pick it up, she saw that it was a small piece of candy. Where had _this_ come from?

"Trick-or-Treat, everyone~" Gourgeist giggled, bringing a hand to her mouth. Ah, that explained it. Now everyone here was weak to ghost-type moves.

Formora then felt a burning hot pain strike her arm. She yelled out, clutching her arm. The skin was already blistering, and she quickly let it go. She turned to Chandelure, vowing that that would be the last time she let herself get hit by Flame Burst.

Chandelure summoned a purple wave from the flames on his arms. He threw the wave in her direction, but she countered by blasting a hole in it with Powder Snow. She spread her arms wide, giving her attack as big of a range as possible. As she'd hoped,the snowy blast grazed Gourgeist, and the Pumpkin Pokemon screeched in pain.

Firnen took the chance to rake her face with Dragon Claw, and Kia caused the ground to open up. He targeted Chandelure, enveloping the chandelier in golden light. Both ghosts screamed, and even while Chandelure was still being struck by Earth Power Formora threw a Shadow Ball into the yellow light.

Finally the ground closed back up, and Chandelure collapsed onto the ground. He wasn't unconscious, but dangerously close to it. The flames on his hands and head were almost out, struggling to remain lit.

Formora summoned one more Shadow Ball, standing over him and holding it above her head.

"Chan!" Gourgeist cried out, stumbling back to her feet. She wasn't as badly hurt as her friend, but she'd taken a few good hits nonetheless. "Are you okay~?"

"I will be in a few moments, my dear Gour," Chandelure rasped as he became surrounded in a black outline.

Formora saw that she too had a similar outline, and before she could blink she felt her energy being drained away even as Chandelure was miraculously healed.

"Hey!" she protested, flinging her arms this way and that. But she couldn't stop it, and after a few moments the outline disappeared and she was left alone.

She knelt, panting over the sudden weakness. Bruises had magically appeared on her body, and she felt tired and lethargic. Meanwhile, some of Chandelure's wounds had disappeared, and he looked much healthier.

"Ah, Pain Split. No one ever expects it," he said fondly.

Formora chuckled lowly, standing up. Even if he'd equalized their health, he still was a long way from victorious.

Something caught her eye, and she glanced over at Gourgeist, who was sending a Leech Seed at her. Formora dove for the ground, avoiding the seed and sending an Ice Beam at the grass/ghost-type in return.

"Gour!" Chandelure shouted, jumping in front of the icy attack. He took the hit, and became frozen solid. The Chandelure-cicle fell to the ground with a thud.

"Chan~!" Gourgeist exclaimed in surprise.

She evaded Kia's Dragon Breath, and spat a tiny brown seed at an incoming Firnen. The seed landed on his head, and rapidly grew vines that ensnared him and prevented him from moving. The tendrils then glowed red, draining Firnen's energy and giving it to Gourgeist.

She sent sent Razor-sharp leaves from her head at him, but the dragon protected himself by summoning a transparent green dome that prevented the attack from lacerating him.

" _That's_ the move you were learning? _Protect?!_ " Formora demanded.

"No, this-ack!...this is for Xerneas next time we fight. There's still-ah!...another one," Firnen told her in between drainings.

Kia began pulling the vines off of him while Formora dealt with Gourgeist. She threw an Ice Beam at the foe, dodging the subsequent Razor Leaf. Gourgeist screeched as the icy blast struck her, and with a cry she threw herself at Formora.

Formora grunted as the Astonish knocked her firmly into the sand. Both she and Gourgeist had to rest for several moments, but Formora recovered first.

She stood over Gourgeist, and aimed a hand at her. With no expression on her face, she took down the foe with Shadow Ball. Gourgeist jerked once, then went still.

Formora dropped to the ground, panting heavily. When this was over, she'd seriously need an Oran Berry.

Once she was ready, she stood. Kia had freed Firnen from Leech Seed, and together they faced Chandelure, who'd been busy melting the ice with his flames all this time. By now, he'd gotten himself free, and faced the trio stoically.

"You defeated Gour? Bravo, but this is as far as you come," he said, throwing a Flame Burst at the trio. The volley of fire spread so that it would hit all three of them. Formora threw herself to the ground, but Kia and Firnen weren't as lucky.

They let out pained exclamations, and half-fell to the ground. Team Renegade was severely injured, but not out just yet.

Kia opened up the ground, but Chandelure evaded the golden light that shone from the cracks. He tried to throw a quick Hex at Formora, but she stopped it before it could happen with Shadow Ball.

As Chandelure recoiled back, Firnen leaped forward, his tusks glowing a bright white. He brought them down upon Chandelure's head, and the Luring Pokemon collapsed wordlessly to the ground, going limp.

Having won the fight, Team R fell back onto the sand, each eating an Oran Berry. Once they'd regained their strength, they sat up, ignoring the rain.

"Guillotine, huh? Nice," Formora said, nodding in high approval.

"Yeah. Takes me a while to charge up, and it's highly inaccurate, but one good smack to someone and it's an automatic win for us. I thought it'd be useful," Firnen said, stretching.

"It is. I'm glad you know it," Formora said.

* * *

After a moment, the foes stirred.

"Ah…" Chandelure said, wincing as he got back up. "Gour, it seems this place isn't to be our home."

"We need to get stronger, too…~" Gourgeist said miserably, getting back to her feet.

Strangely, though, the two ghosts bowed to Team Renegade.

"Thank you for our fight. It taught us much. We'll be leaving now, but I hope we'll have the chance to battle again one day. Farewell," Chandelure said respectfully before he and his friend left the dungeon.

"Huh. That was rather strange. Fun, but odd," Kia said after they were alone.

Formora shrugged. "They made us delay. Let's just go."

There wasn't much else to do here, so the trio entered the shadowy entrance in the outcropping.

* * *

 **Heya guys! I'm at uni right now, so I won't be able to post as often, though I'll certainly try. Just a heads up!**

 **The next post shall include: the Cape, a lake, and a mournful lunar deity.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Scorched Cape ( watch?v=w3aUsxAGRFM)**

 **B1F**

The moment they stepped inside Formora fervently wished they didn't have to go through this place.

It was _hot._ Not five seconds in and she was already sweating buckets. The humidity clung to her like gum on a shoe, and the worst part was she couldn't escape it. How in the world was she going to get through this?

This was going to be a _long_ trip…

Once the initial surprise at the heat passed, she turned to observe her surroundings. The floor was comprised of a reddish-orange rock that, based on Firnen's occasional foot-hopping, was heated. The walls were a deep crimson stone, and there were steam vents here and there around the chamber. More scorch marks could be seen, and shards of gems and pebbles were scattered haphazardly across the floor.

"Wow! It's like a sauna in here," Kia exclaimed joyfully, spreading his wings to soak up the heat.

"How can you two _stand_ this place?!" Formora demanded, wiping off her forehead.

"You're an ice-type, Milady. Heat affects you more than most Pokemon. Don't worry, I'm certain we'll be out of here soon," he said reassuringly.

"Can we go? My feet are medium-rare by now," Firnen piped up, grimacing as he switched his weight from his left foot to his right.

"Yes, let's get out of here ASAP. I hate this place," Formora agreed fervently, starting at a comfortable pace down the southward corridor.

To everyone's surprise, though, the first two enemies they encountered were a Krabby and Wooper in a narrow corridor.

Formora scrunched up her face, not expecting two water-types in a hot and humid place like this. Oh well, they were still dead anyway.

As per usual, she ducked inside the wall beside her. To her utmost delight, the atmosphere inside the wall was much cooler than the outside. It was still uncomfortably warm, but to a much more tolerable degree. Thank the heavens…

 _Back to the battle, Formora,_ she thought, turning her attention back to the two water-types. The Krabby had already attempted to snipe Kia down with Mud Shot, but the Vibrava's Levitate Ability made it all too easy for him to evade. In return he shot the Krabby with Sonic Boom, and Formora was swift to add in her Shadow Ball.

The Krabby crash-landed against the other wall, and fell limply to the floor, stunned. Firnen moved in quick to finish it off as Formora and Kia rushed for the Wooper.

The wily blue enemy dodged Kia's Dragon Breath, jumped high into the air and Slammed right into him. Kia let out a deep gasp as the air was knocked from his lungs, and he began to fall to the ground. At the same time, Formora heard an exclamation from Firnen. She turned just in time to see the Fraxure eliminate the Krabby with Dragon Claw, wiping mud from his face.

"Stupid thing Mud Shot me," he explained briefly before going to help the grounded and dazed Kia.

"Stop it" Formora growled at the Wooper, blasting it with Shadow Ball. It was knocked flat onto its back, and Formora quickly ran from the wall and picked it up, holding it out to Kia and Firnen.

"Destroy it!" she yelled, holding on tight to the squirming foe. She held its head still so it couldn't turn and spit mud at her.

Having recovered from their wounds, the boys utterly obliterated it with a combined Dragon Pulse/Dragon breath combo.

Formora wasted no time in moving on, as she was already tiring again due to the blasted heat.

 **B2F**

They'd not spawned with Stairs, but a Magby and Charmander.

Oh yay, on top of the heat she now had two fire-types to contend with. This day just kept on getting better and better.

Her situation made her angry, and in rage she pummeled the nearby Magby with Shadow Ball. The stupid foe was sent careening into the far wall, where it made a most satisfying _thwack_.

The Magby was soon joined by the Charmander, having been struck by Kia's Earth Power. Firnen rushed forward, his claws elongating and gleaming in Dragon Claw, but the two enemies recovered and nimbly jumped out of the way.

The Charmander startled the Fraxure with a Scary Face, causing him to stumble and drop his attack. The Magby avenged itself by spitting out a thin stream of fire at Formora.

She braced herself, and howled in anguish as the edges of her body were licked by stray flames as the stream of fire spun itself into a sort of prison around her. Every so often she'd be burnt by the edges of the Fire Spin.

She scowled, unable to move or attack. She was well and truly trapped by flames, and as beads of sweat fell from her chin they splashed onto the lower rungs of the fire prison, where they made a small _hiss_ as they evaporated.

"Hold on, Formora!" Kia said as he made the ground open up again. Both fire-types were caught by the yellow fire, and when Earth Power ended they'd disappeared.

The Fire Spin faded away, and Formora was free to move again.

She strode forward down the first corridor she spotted, gasping heavily. Luckily, though, the hall took her directly to the Stairs.

 **B3F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

Oh great, and now the freakin' sun was out too.

Formora was openly panting by now, struggling to endure the combined humidity and the blast of the sunshine. She moved slowly, conserving her energy. She cast about desperately for a pool of water so she could quench her dire thirst, but alas, none were found.

She grimaced. She knew she wouldn't last much longer without aid, and there was no telling how long this Arceusforsaken hellhole was. Probably around the length of Seafoam Sea, but that wasn't a guarantee.

She needed to stave off the heat, but how…?

She glanced at the walls beside her, and got an idea. The space inside of the walls were much cooler than the outside. It was still warmer than she preferred, but was much more tolerable.

"Too hot. Gonna travel in the wall," she said briefly to her teammates before ducking inside the left wall.

She breathed a sigh of content relief. It was _much_ better in here than out there, in the sun. This was much more preferable. True, she was still hot and thirsty, but she could manage for the time being, at least.

Traveling parallel to her teammates, she moved onward.

Thankfully, the Stairs weren't far up ahead.

 **B4F**

Formora was relieved to see they'd spawned with the Stairs, and that the sun had disappeared. She quickly descended, wanting to get out of this place as soon as possible.

 **B5F**

She laughed in joy.

Once again, they'd arrived in the Stair room.

 **B6F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

Traveling through the walls provided much relief, but it came at a sheer cost: she became hungry much more rapidly, and soon she'd eaten all of their apples.

Eventually, she had to return to the dungeon proper. She could still draw upon their berries and seeds if she had to, but she'd rather save those as a last resort. Besides, some of their seeds were bound to have unpleasant side effects.

Thus, by the time they found the Stairs, one would think the poor ice girl was melting like an ice cream cone by how much she was sweating.

At least the next room they came to held an apple. She snatched it up greedily, saving it for later. Her vision was starting to go hazy, and to top it all off there was a Charmander now entering the room.

She fell inside the wall, croaking out, "You deal with it," to her teammates.

If they responded, she didn't hear them as she fell onto her back, gasping for breath as she took in the cooler air of the walls. She closed her eyes, and rested for a few minutes.

By the time she was ready to come out, the Charmander was nowhere to be seen. However, Kia was sporting a large burn on his wing. It was clear every movement he made antagonized it, but he said not a word, only put up an enduring face and marched ahead carefully,

She followed suit, wondering if this mission was worth it at all.

 **B7F**

A Krabby had soon come to greet them after they spawned. It Shot Mud at Kia, and the dragon nimbly evaded in the air, his burn having gone away as soon as they descended to this floor.

Kia retaliated with Sonic Boom, but the Krabby scuttled quickly out of the way, straight into an oncoming Firnen's Dragon Claw.

"Woo!" he shouted joyfully as his attack collided with the foe. The Krabby landed roughly in the ground, pebbles and gem shards embedded in its skin.

It glared at him angrily and spat a steady Bubble Beam at him. Formora countered with Powder Snow, disintegrating the bubbles with her ice. That proved to be too much effort, and she quietly retreated from the fight, saving her energy.

She needed water, and soon. Her mouth was as dry as sand, and she was starting to have to fight to stay focused.

A noise made her turn, and she saw Kia utterly destroy the stupid Pokemon with a close-range Dragon Breath. The foe disappeared instantly, and Formora slowly stood, bracing herself for the rest of the trip.

Thankfully though, she soon found the Stair room without too much of a hassle from the foes.

 **-Waypoint-**

Oh thank Arceus there was water here. She didn't care so much about the fact that she'd reached the waypoint; all she was concerned about was water.

She gulped down mouthful upon mouthful of water, hardly caring about the stale taste or that it was as warm as a hot tub. The water rejuvenated her, gave her energy. She felt much better, and was confident that she could reach the end of the dungeon. She'd have to rehydrate before possibly fighting Azelf, but there'd be a lake nearby so she didn't really have to worry about that.

Ah, water was truly the most precious thing in the world. She could recall plenty of times where she'd been worried about dying of thirst, but she did not care to revisit those unwanted memories.

"Come on!" she said, almost playfully, as she ran farther into the dungeon.

 **Lower Scorched Cape ( watch?v=Uqeh11wvFg4)**

 **B1F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

Annnnnnnnnd the sun was back. Great. At least she was feeling more like her usual self, but that wouldn't last much longer.

The walls had changed to a deep scarlet color, reminding Formora distinctly of dried blood. The floor were more of a burnt-orange color, and gems no longer littered the floor. More steam vents pockmarked the landscape, and they were larger and most likely hotter than the ones on the previous floors.

The good news was, water was lining the edges, so Formora no longer had to worry about dehydration. The bad news was, they'd spawned with a Quagsire and, that was new.

The Magcargo kicked off the fight with Ancient Power, sending a glowing white ball of energy straight at Formora.

She squeaked, and flung herself to the side, barely missing the powerful attack by an inch. The ground underneath began shaking, and she heard the telltale roar of the ground opening up to spew out an Earth Power.

She rolled onto her back, and watched as the Magcargo was bathed in yellow light. Nearby, Firnen had been struck by the Quagsire's Mud Shot. She managed to hit the water/ground-type with Ice Beam, earning her a thankful look from Firnen before he dove back into the fray.

And once the ground returned back to normal, the Magcargo (who was four times as vulnerable to the blow) was severely wounded. It shakily spat Incinerating embers at Kia, but its aim was way off. He didn't even have to move from his position in the air.

Formora got up, throwing a Shadow Ball at the Magcargo as she did. The purple ball landed solidly on its shell, and it vanished in an instant.

The Quagsire was soon defeated as well, but the battle had left Firnen tired and heavily wounded.

He ate an Oran Berry, and the trio came together.

"Almost done...and it seems the foes here are stronger. I suggest we proceed with much caution," Kia advised.

Formora nodded tiredly, already feeling the effects of the heat. "Yeah...yeah. Let's just go, okay?"

 **B2F**

Whilst sluggishly traveling down a narrow corridor plagued with steam vents, the trio ran across a Wooper. Formora fell into the walls, taking a few moments to collect her bearings. How she hated this place! How would she ever be able to defeat Azelf, if it came to that…? Hopefully Hidden Cove and Lake Caution would have more favorable environments.

She turned back to the battle, and saw with a shock that it was over. Just how long had she been daydreaming?!

"Please, it was nothing," Kia shrugged when she voiced her surprise. "It didn't seem to realize I have Levitate, and kept trying to nail me with Mud Shot. Beating it was too easy."

Huh. Rather nonplussed, Formora continued along, and in a chamber that held a Red Gummi and a Charmander.

The orange foe quickly threw up a Smokescreen, preventing both parties from seeing one another. Team Renegade all threw attacks into the dark gray cloud, but no cries rewarded their efforts.

The Charmander came bursting through the cloud, clamping its Fiery Fangs onto Firnen's arm. The Fraxure screeched with pain, waving his arm wildly in a vain effort to dislodge the foe.

Both Kia and Formora grabbed the enemy's legs and _yanked_ it off of Firnen. Formora tossed it into the air, where she and Kia promptly sniped it down with Shadow Ball and Dragon Breath.

Then she stumbled, having spent more energy than she'd wanted. She took a quick drink from a water pool nearby, and grimly continued onward, where she soon found the Stairs.

 **B3F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

Oh thank Arceus there were Stairs in the spawn chamber. The heat coupled with the blasted sun made this the perfect hell for the overheated Formora.

 **B4F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

Oh, Formora was not doing well on this floor. While she was plenty hydrated, she couldn't do anything to stave off the heat. She'd already broken and ate all of their edibles in order to travel through the walls, but now she'd run out and she was forced to remain in the dungeon proper lest she faint of hunger. But now, her vision was spinning, and her head felt as light as air.

She'd hardly noticed the Magcargo and Charmander heading towards her, and easily succumbed to the Magcargo's Incinerate.

A bright white light surroudded her, and the next thing she knew she was back in the dungeon, Only this time, she was back at tip-top shape. No exhaustion, no overheating, just perfectly fine and healthy.

Hm, at least she'd had the sense not to eat the Reviver Seeds…

The heat was already starting to affect her again, so she wasted no time in taking to the walls and blasting the Magcargo with Shadow Ball as it was already being struck by Kia's Earth Power.

The damn thing fainted, leaving only the puny little Charmander. It managed to evade her Ice Beam, but Firnen dove in to rake its face with Dragon Claw. He put the foe in a headlock, yelling at Formora and Kia to take it down.

One Ice Beam from Formora and a regular attack from Kia ensured that they no longer had company.

Formora came out of the walls, scowling. "Ergh! I can't believe I fainted. I'm Formora! _I don't get defeated_."

"You had heatstroke, and feel warmth and flame much more severely than the rest of us do. No one can fault you, Formora," Kia said, shaking his head.

Formora wiped off her forehead, then crossed her arms, already turning to go. "Mmph. It'll _never_ happen again."

 **B5F**

Not three seconds after they'd stepped into the first hall they spotted, a Wooper and Krabby game to engage them. Formora, as always, ducked inside the wall to escape the heat and give herself an advantage.

The Wooper started by spitting out a giant Mud Bob at attack was prevented by an excellently-timed Protect, and Kia swiftly punished the blue foe with Dragon Breath. Formora instead threw a Shadow Ball at the Krabby behind the Wooper.

The Krabby was not at all expecting an attack to come from the wall, and so the Ball landed perfectly. As the foe struggled to comprehend what just happened, Formora ended the Wooper with Ice Beam.

The boys now turned their attention to the Krabby, and it barely had time to blink before it was erased by a combined Dragon Rage/Dragon Breath.

The Stairs, it turned out, were in the next room.

 **B6F**

As luck would have it, the Stairs were in the second room they came across. However, a tiny little Krabby was determined not to let anyone pass.

Formora hung back, allowing her teammates to engage the enemy.

The Krabby dodged Firnen's Guillotine, and landed and hard Stomp on his skull. The Fraxure gave a strangled cry and fell to the ground in a stunned heap.

Kia swooped in, avenging his teammate with a hard Dragon Breath to the Krabby's face. The orange and cream foe chittered in pain as it stumbled backwards a few steps. Kia swiftly followed up with a successful Feint Attack, but was knocked out of the air by the angry Krabby's Bubble Beam.

By now, however, Firnen had recovered from the blow to his head, and stalked up to the foe from behind, surprising it with a knockout Dragon Claw.

"Better not have given me a concussion," he grumbled angrily, rubbing the swollen lump on his head.

They descended.

 **Scorched Cape Lake**

Formora was not met with the usual Scorched Cape scenery, but a vast room that stretched miles wide in diameter. Most of this space was taken up by a large lake with bright blue water. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, and the entire room was one big sauna, thanks to the overabundance of steam vents.

There was no sign of life as Team R approached, but that did not mean their quarry wasn't here.

"Hello? Azelf?" Formora called, her voice echoing across the room. "We are Team Renegade, and we have urgent business with you!"

Nothing happened.

"Please come out! We just wish to talk!" Kia added. Formora had to bite her tongue in order to keep from giggling.

Still, nothing happened.

"Why are you being so shy? I thought you were the legendary Being of Willpower!" Firnen taunted.

This time, a head poked out from the surface nearby. It wasn't Azelf, but a Goldeen.

"Azelf isn't here," he informed them.

Team R crowded round the edge of the lake. Formora made sure to stay a safe distance from the edge.

"Where is he? Do you know when he'll be back?" Kia inquired.

The Goldeen shook his head, looking miserable. "No, he was kidnapped…"

"Kidnapped?!" Team R exclaimed. "By whom?"

"I don't know...a giant hand appeared out of nowhere and took him," the Goldeen sighed, nibbling his lip.

"When did this happen?" Formora demanded. Whoever had decided to get in her way was going to pay dearly.

"Three days ago. A Shiny Litwick and a Pumpkaboo came by. They called themselves Team Banshee or something. They fought Azelf, but won. He spoke with them for a bit, then they left. Soon after they did, a giant golden ring appeared in the air. A purple arm came out of it, and grabbed Azelf. He...he struggled as hard as he could, but he was still tired from his fight earlier. The hand retreated back into the ring, and it vanished. I haven't seen him since…" the Goldeen explained.

Team R shared a glance. The Shiny Litwick and Pumpkaboo had come before them? Why?

"What did Azelf talk to them about?" Formora inquired. It would be good to know why the two ghosts had sought out a powerful legendary like Azelf.

"Um, I think they were looking for Uxie? I'm not sure…" the Goldeen said.

Formora stood, ignoring the heat and the cascade of sweat rushing down her face. "I see. Boys, we're leaving. Now."

* * *

"We should go to Divine Shore immediately. Those two girls could be there already," Kia urged once they'd finally left that stupid, _stupid_ dungeon.

Formora nodded. "I agree, which is why we're going there immediately. Someone's decided to kidnap Azelf, and it wasn't the Dark. Whoever is behind this is going to pay in blood. I don't know why the ghosts are after Uxie, but we'll beat it out of them soon enough. Now come on!"

Sumatra was waiting for them outside of Seafoam Sea, and she gladly took the trio back to land. As she swam, Team R made their report to Giratina. Their lord was angered that someone was interfering, but could not think of a possible culprit. He told them that he would set watchers on Scorched Cape in case either Azelf or the kidnapper came back.

It was nighttime by the time Sumatra came to shore, and the trio bid her farewell before going off to make camp. Formora found an excellent supply of dandelions and other edible plants, while the boys preferred the meager berries they'd scavenged around the coast. They had a long trek to the north ahead of them tomorrow, so they swiftly went to bed after dinner.

* * *

 _Elsewhere…_

She stood on top of the hill, gazing down sadly at the highlands below her. Though it was far into the night, she could see the remains of the village a few miles away, the ashes long cold by now.

She felt tears come to her eyes, and her best friend in the world came to stand beside her.

"There was nothing you could have done, you know," Xerneas told her gently, softly. "He wanted to avenge their sacrifices, and nothing you could have said would've made a difference."

"But I could have stopped him," Cresselia said bitterly, turning to face him. "I should've done more to turn his heart away from the Dark! But I didn't...I thought that if I warned him of what happened to all the other spies, he wouldn't have gone. But he did, and now...and now he's in their hands forever…"

"What could you have done, aside from holding him against his will? No, he still would have found a way. He was young and naive, wanting to make a big impression on the world. He thought that if he could stop Formora, then his life's work would be done. And he did do a great thing: he destroyed her Joy Ribbon," Xerneas refuted calmly.

Cresselia was silent, and turned back to the highlands below.

"How can you stand it?" she whispered, numbness spreading all through her body. "How can you stand all of this misery? I'm supposed to be the healer of nightmares, yet I cannot even heal my own!"

"I stand it because I've seen it many, many times in all of my previous lives. But life always wins. The blackness of death has always been vastly overshadowed by the bright aura of life. Even now, I can barely feel the suffering the Dark has caused. All around me I feel the spark of joy that is life. I take great comfort in that. If you could feel what I can, Cressie, all your nightmares would be gone in a flash. Now come on. We cannot change the past, but we can direct the future," Xerneas responded, nudging her.

Cresselia nodded, but her face was grim.

"Very well. But first I will make sure Pikipek never has to suffer again. It is the least I can do."

* * *

 **Heyo, I'm back! Lotta homework, not a lot of free time :(**

 **The next post shall include: a shore, the cove, and a dumb riddle.**


	22. Chapter 22

They woke early the next morning, soon after the sun had risen. Team Renegade wasted no time in heading off to Divine Shore, where Uxie lived. They stopped to rest only once, and as the climate grew colder and colder Formora spotted the lights of a distant village far in the north.

"That would be Lorii, where I'm from," Kia said when she pointed it out. "The main exports are coal and gems from the nearby mines. Exploration teams around here mostly rescue trapped miners. I wonder if my parents and and sister still live there? Ah, but that does not matter now. I know where Divine Shore is; just follow me."

* * *

 **Divine Shore**

The Vibrava led them to a beach around late afternoon. The sand was utterly devoid of debris, sparkling prettily in the sun. The northern waters crashed mercilessly onto the beach, but were a crystal-clear blue.

Best of all, though, it was chilly. _Very_ chilly. Kia and Firnen shivered whenever a strong breeze picked up, but the cold air only made Formora feel like she was in heaven. This weather was _perfect_ in this June heatwave! She could actually go outside without being pummeled by the sun! Ah, she loved this place. It wasn't an exact opposite to Scorched Cape, but this was by far Formora's favorite dungeon.

And they hadn't even gone in yet.

"Let's fix that," she said out loud, striding merrily into Divine Shore.

 **B1F ( watch?v=9dPU38-4S1M)**

The inside was just as wonderful as the outside. The floor was made of soft white sand, and the walls were packed earth decorated in seashells and sand dollars. Pools of deep, cold water lined most of the edges, and there was a strong breeze wafting through the floor, making everyone but Formora shiver.

"I like it here. We need to visit this place more often," she beamed, putting her hands on her hips.

"It's certainly nice, but I wish it was just a tad warmer," Kia grimaced, rubbing his arms together for warmth.

"Nah, it's fine how it is right now. Let's go!" she said cheerily, skipping forward.

 **B2F**

B2F found the trio battling a Shellder who thought it was strong enough to defeat them all in a medium-sized chamber.

Oh, _how_ it was wrong.

Formora threw her trusty Shadow Ball at it, but the attack was blocked by a familiar green dome of energy around the foe. Hm, so it knew Protect. This was an annoyance, but not at all a problem.

Kia flew stealthily behind it, and as soon as the dome dissipated he spat out Dragon Breath at it.

The startled foe squeaked, and flew straight towards Formora, who happily sniped it with Shadow Ball. This time, she was successful, and the enemy fell to the ground with a _whump_ , sending up a cloud of sand.

It got up and shook the sand off its body, then fired multiple volleys of needle-like Spears made of Icicles at Formora.

She took the blows, hardly even feeling the pinpricks as they pierced her skin.

"No," she said in a bored tone as she ended its stupid existence with Shadow Ball.

After a few minutes, they came upon the Stairs.

 **B3F**

Hm, they'd spawned with the Stairs. Excellent.

 **B4F**

The first few chambers they went through didn't hold much, but after a while they found a lonely Seel wandering through a hall. Its back was turned to them, so Formora disappeared into the wall and watched as Kia snuck up behind the enemy and blasted it with Dragon Breath.

The Seel face-planted directly into the ground, having been completely caught off guard. Before it could recover from the blow, Formora added her Shadow Ball to the fray. Down again the Seel went, and Firnen dove in quick to finish it off with Dragon Claw.

On they went, laughing at how stupidly easy that had been. Not a minute later, though, a Horsea appeared in the the room they came to.

It Leered menacingly, making the trio pause in momentary apprehension. The blue Pokemon followed by blasting Formora straight in the face with Water Gun, causing the Froslass to sputter wildly. She fell onto her back, spitting up mouthfuls of water.

Irked now, she promptly stood and chucked a Shadow Ball at the offender with one last cough. The wily foe dodged, but failed to realize Kia was ready. His eyes glowing, he made the ground open up and envelop the Horsea in the golden light of Earth Power.

Formora and Firnen threw their Shadow Ball and Dragon Rage into the yellow curtain, and when the aura died there was no trace left of the Horsea.

"Hmph. Idiot," Formora grumbled, crossing her arms as they got moving again.

 **B5F**

"Why do you think the Pumpkaboo and Shiny Litwick are going to see Uxie?" Firnen asked as they wandered through a tiny chamber.

"Well, Uxie's the Being of Knowledge, right? Obviously they seek the answer to some unfathomable question. Perhaps they think Uxie might know how to stop us?" Kia offered.

"Hm, it's possible. I'll be sure to beat it out of them when we finally catch them. We're not going to let them go free like in Joyful Forest. That Litwick could be the Light's Chosen, and she needs to be captured. No, next time we see them, they're ours," Formora said determinedly.

 **B6F**

Absolutely nothing was in their starting chamber, and the only exit lay due north. Upon traversing the path, however, they discovered to their delight that the Stairs were in the next room over.

 **B7F**

To Formora's amusement, their travels were accelerated by the presence of Stairs.

 **B8F**

Soon after picking up an Oran Berry in their starting chamber, a Marill came to play with them, literally.

It announced its presence by diving onto Kia's back, pounding him mercilessly and just generally Playing Rough.

"Gah! Get off me!" Kia screeched, bucking crazily.

He managed to dislodge the Marill, flinging it far into the air. Formora easily sniped it with Shadow Ball as it fell, and the round foe bounced once before coming back to its feet.

It summoned a small Aqua Ring around itself, nurturing and healing its wounds ever so slightly.

Not on Formora's watch, it wouldn't.

She aimed a Powder Snow at its left foot, and as she hoped it jumped to the right, straight into Firnen's waiting arms.

A quick blow to the back of the neck, and the Marill was no more.

Later, they came across a Shellder guarding a Blast purple Pokemon Clamped down hard on Kia's wing, making it harder for him to fly.

"That hurts! Let go!" he exclaimed, waving his affected wing wildly, trying to shake the Shellder off.

"Hold still," Formora instructed as she and Firnen grabbed hold of the offending foe.

Formora slammed her fist down upon the Shellder's back, causing it to instinctively let go so it could open its mouth to scream. When it did, the two were swift to yank it away from Kia, and a quick Dragon Claw/Shadow Ball soon ended it.

"Thank you," Kia winced, nursing his bruised wing.

 **B9F**

They'd hardly spawned before Kia called Formora over. He had picked up a transparent white Gummi and was offering it to her.

"Want this Clear Gummi? Ice-types love it best," he said.

Well, now that he mentioned it, she _was_ starting to feel a bit hungry. She accepted, and took an experimental bite out of it.

Her face lit up instantly. It tasted exactly like ice cream! Vanilla, in fact.

She promptly downed the rest of the Gummi.

"This day just gets better and better," she sighed contentedly as they moved forward.

If they could find Uxie and apprehend the girls, this would be the best day in her entire life.

Well, arresting Xerneas would be a close second...

 **B10F**

They'd spawned with both a Shellder and the Stairs. The Stairs were closer, and there were in no mood to put down the foe. Time was of the essence.

 **B11F**

The moment they stepped into the first hall on the floor they were blocked by a Wingull and Marill.

As expected, Formora entered the wall beside the Wingull, and amused herself by surprising the waiting Marill with Shadow Ball.

As it cast about in search of the mystery attacker, Formora turned her attentions back to the Wingull. It was but a mere blur as it flew straight for Kia, striking him with a Quick Attack. Kia winced, and as the Wingull prepared for Round 2 Formora got its attention with Ice Beam.

There it made its fatal mistake: it turned to face her, and left it completely open to Firnen's avenging Dragon Claw.

The trio looked at the Marill, who responded by blowing a steady stream of Bubble Beam at Kia.

The Vibrava took to the air, evading easily. He Feinted left, then instead came from the right, Attacking viciously. The Marill was thrown into the dirt, and the bloodthirsty Firnen jumped on top of it, ending it with a cruel punch to the throat.

With that pathetic excuse of a fight over, the trio moved on, and soon found the Stairs.

 **Divine Shoreline**

A small slice of beach awaited them. To the left was the ocean, crashing steadily onto the shore as usual. To the right, however, were seven cave entrances, each with a small picture painted above the mouth. From left to right the paintings depicted: a chair, an apple, a Pichu, a clock, a blue square, a tree, and a flame.

In the center of the beach was a small black dais. Upon closer inspection, there was a message carved into it.

"'I can be the sun. I can be the sand. I can be a bird. What am I?'" Firnen read aloud.

" _He Who Is_ said that the clock was the correct answer, right? How can a clock be all of those things?" Formora snorted, staring at the cave with the clock drawing.

"Sun, sundial. Sand, hourglass. Bird, cuckoo clock," Kia answered at once.

Formora and Firnen stared at him.

"What? I like riddles," he said defensively.

"Whatever. Let's just go," Formora sighed, turning to walk through the correct cave.

* * *

 **Hidden Cove ( watch?v=D3CSEricqRE)**

 **B1F**

As they had expected, they had indeed gone down the right path. The cave led to Uxie's dungeon, leaving the beach far behind. Here, the walls were made of a tan rock that was partly covered by barnacles. The floor was composed of packed sand, but this time two inches of water lay on top. Colorful shells littered the floor, and the air was still chilly.

"Hm, hopefully Hidden Cove will be as short as Scorched Cape," she mused. Although Scorched Cape had felt like an eternity to her rather than a few floors.

"I would imagine so. Shall we move onwards?" Kia agreed, shuddering as a particularly chilly draft blew through the room.

Formora nodded. "Yes. There's no telling what we'll find at the end, so let us hurry."

 **B2F**

After finding an apple lying dejectedly in a corner, the trio spotted a Kabuto scuttling towards them. The little foe kicked sand at them, getting it in their eyes and lowering their accuracy.

As Formora blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the grains from her eyes, she heard a brief hiss of pain from Firnen. She looked up, teary-eyed, and saw a small brown blur attacking him. She clumsily threw a Shadow Ball at the blob, and returned to clearing her sight.

Finally she could see again, and this time she solidly nailed the Kabuto in the side with Shadow Ball. It was thrown far away from Firnen, and she ran after it, KOing it with Ice Beam as it soared through the air.

The boys soon returned to normal, and they soon discovered the Stairs.

 **B3F**

Soon after spawning, the trio were attacked by an Armaldo and Lileep inside a hallway. Formora ducked inside the wall, intent on defeating the Lileep while her friends dealt with the Armaldo.

The Lileep did what dungeon Lileeps usually did, and rooted itself to the ground with Ingrain.

Formora laughed, and cheerily blasted the idiot with three Ice Beams. It was unable to dodge or do anything about it, and so was forced to take the blows. It should have taken her only two Ice Beams to defeat it, but Ingrain proved to be more of a nuisance than she expected.

Whatever, it was still obliterated anyway.

She turned, and chucked a Shadow Ball at the Armaldo, who was just about to launch an Ancient Power.

The foe faltered, and promptly vanished. Hm, it seemed it had already taken a few hits. Cool.

They moved onward.

 **B4F**

Oh yay the Stairs were here.

 **B5F**

They didn't spawn with the Stairs this time, but they did arrive with a Pelipper and a Reviver Seed. Kia went to pick it up while Formora and Firnen dealt with the bird.

Formora threw her Ice Beam at the flying foe, and to her confusion the Pelipper happily tanked the blow. She soon found out why it did this, as it then flew straight for her face, a dark aura emanating from its body.

She screamed as she was struck by the full force of the Pelipper's Payback. She fell flat on her back, causing a small splash and a small cloud of wet sand to fly up in the air. Droplets of sand stuck to her face, and she lay there for a few seconds, stunned by the blow.

She heard the sounds of fighting, and once she had recovered she stood back up, just in time to see Firnen take the Pelipper down with a close-ranged Dragon Claw.

The foe vanished, and the trio regrouped.

After making sure everyone was ready to continue, they moved forward.

 **B6F**

The Stairs, as it turned out, were in the next room from their spawn, but a Lileep was standing in front of them. Upon seeing Team Renegade approach, it put its roots deep into the ground, anchoring itself. The Ingrain would allow it to heal more rapidly, at the cost of movement.

Whatever.

Team Renegade casually made their way over to it, evading the Lileep's warning Ancient Power.

Once they were close enough, they blasted the stupid foe with a combined Dragon Breath/Dragon Rage/Shadow Ball.

The total force of the attacks was too much for it to handle, even with the help of Ingrain.

It disappeared without a trace, and they descended merrily.

— **Waypoint—**

A large room with a Kangaskhan statue in the middle greeted them. Formora brightened, pleased that they had made it to the waypoint in such good time.

She did not pause as she strode over to the exit, tapping the statue briefly as she went by.

Uxie and those ghost girls wouldn't even know what hit them.

 **Deep Hidden Cove ( watch?v=dfbX2xSxBsU)**

 **B1F**

The terrain had not changed very much. Deep puddles lined the edges, and glittery pieces of broken shells lay all along the floor. Other than that, though, it was still the same as the first half.

Whatever, it hardly mattered to Formora.

She didn't say a word, only strode forward purposefully.

 **B2F**

Formora smiled. The Stairs were right in front of her.

 **B3F**

This floor was full of incredibly long hallways and tiny little chambers scattered everywhere. Team R made many wrong turns and fought more Pokemon than they wanted to. By the time they found the Stairs, they were panting, and to top it all off there was an angry Armaldo in the room.

Formora had more energy than her friends, and cared not a whit when she was brutally cut by the Armaldo's Slash. She felt a brief sting and winced, but that was it.

"Nice try, but no," she said before throwing a Shadow Ball at it.

The Armaldo screeched in fury, and summoned a familiar white ball of Ancient Power.

Oh, _hell_ no. Formora jumped out of the way, narrowly dodging the powerful attack. When she landed on the ground, she immediately rolled onto her back and shot an Ice Beam at her attacker.

Said attacker lumbered out of the way and began another Ancient Power, but was caught off-guard by a combined Earth Power/Dragon Rage by Formora's unsuspecting teammates.

Huh, she'd almost forgot they were here. The Armaldo fainted, and Kia and Firnen fell to their knees.

"Ah, sorry. Just need a moment," Kia panted.

Once they were ready, Formora descended.

 **B4F**

The trio were nonchalantly wandering down a long hallway when they were startled by Giratina's voice coming from their bag. Kia pulled out the mirror, and they crowded around it.

" **Ah, there you three are. Have you found Uxie yet?"** Giratina inquired.

"No, we're inside Hidden Cove right now. It shouldn't be too much longer," Formora shook her head.

" **Good. Word is officially out now that Azelf has been kidnapped by an unknown entity. No one—not even us, I'm afraid—knows why, or if any other legendaries are at risk. Be cautious when you approach Uxie and Mesprit, as they are most likely the next targets. But that isn't the only reason I'm contacting you. Sometime last night, Pikipek was poisoned. Someone decided to be merciful and give him the sweet release of death,"** Giratina reported grimly.

Formora's head snapped up. "What?!"

" **Yes. I do not know who disobeyed his wishes to die of old age, but I shall find them, and make sure they live out his last wish in his stead. It's the least I can do for him,"** he growled.

Formora felt a cold fury come over her. Someone killed the Pokemon who destroyed her Joy Ribbon?!

Ohhhh, when she got back home, she was going to have a _very_ fun day.

" **But, I do have some good news. Six new Pokemon joined us last night. Three of whom you might know, Formora. They were a Fennekin, a Summerian Meowth, and a young Nidoran** **?** **"** Giratina went on.

Formora raised an eyebrow. So those street kids took her up on her offer, huh?

"Good. They need the love," she nodded.

" **Indeed. The boys have formed an exploration team named Team Inspire. They hope to act as recruiters. The little girl is being cared for by Chansey. I shall not keep you from your mission any longer. Continue forward, and report to me after you reach the end of the dungeon,** " Giratina instructed as he signed off.

Kia put the mirror away, and they moved onward, new purpose in their hearts.

 **B5F**

Whilst in the middle of navigating through a stairstep-shaped hall, a Pelipper sought to block their way. It Protected itself from Formora's Ice Beam, and spat a Pulse of Water at Kia. The blast made him fall to the ground, and when he got up his eyes were glassy.

Formora scowled as she shot off another Ice Beam. Great, now Kia was confused.

The Pelipper was displeased by her ice, and sat down on the ground, preparing to Roost.

"No you don't!" Formora shrieked as she dove out of the wall, smacking it silly with a point-blank Shadow Ball. Firnen agreed heartily, and his Dragon Claw ensured that the foe was gone and their friend was avenged.

Kia snapped out of the confusion soon after, and they moved forward, albeit somewhat slowly. The boys tired more easily than Formora, and they'd already walked through a dungeon and a half today.

She chafed at the delay, but allowed them to go at a comfortable pace.

 **B6F**

They'd hardly spawned when Formora was struck in the back by what felt like a Mud Shot. She whipped around, furious, and found the offender: a lowly Kabuto.

It stared defiantly at her, and she wasted no time in punishing it with Shadow Ball. As it stumbled backwards, Kia swooped down and snatched it up in his arms. He threw it high into the air, and the trio unleashed their Dragon Breath, Shadow Ball, and Dragon Rage fury upon the hapless idiot.

Of course, it was instantly defeated.

There was no such thing as 'overkill' to Team Renegade, only 'efficiency'.

A few minutes later, though, their path in a short little hall was blocked by a Lileep. The stupid enemy decided it would root itself into the ground with Ingrain, healing itself but ultimately preventing it from moving.

Kia dodged its Brine, while Formora blasted it with Ice Beam from the wall. Then she followed up with Shadow Ball. Then another Ice Beam. Because she could. And because the Lileep couldn't dodge. Nor heal itself fast enough to survive. Because it was an idiot.

 **B7F**

"Stairs," Formora, Kia, and Firnen chorused upon spotting the Stairs in their starting room.

 **Hidden Cove Lake**

The trio came to a vast room quite similar to the one at Scorched Cape. A grand lake stretched out for miles below the small cliff they stood on, and jagged stalagmites rose from the ground at random. High up above, light filtered down from small holes in the mile-high ceiling. The air was musty and damp, most likely due to the underground lake.

Also like Scorched Cape, there was no one present.

"Hello? Uxie?" Formora called, feeling a distinct sense of deja vu. Her voice echoed through the chamber, but no one responded.

She went to the edge of the cliff, and knelt down so she could see the water better.

"Is anyone in there?" she asked the water.

No one answered.

"I'm looking for Uxie; can anyone tell me where he is?"

Nothing.

Formora stood, then promptly ripped off the top of a nearby stalagmite and hurled it down into the water. The projectile caused a great splash to occur, but this still did not produce any Pokemon, or cease her ire.

"Nothing! Neither Uxie or the ghosts are here. We wasted all this time for nothing!" she spat, trembling in fury.

"Perhaps Uxie has been taken as well. We should ask the base if they know anything," Kia suggested.

Formora relaxed a bit at this, and they took out their mirror and summoned Giratina.

" **Uxie is not there? Odd, I have not received any reports saying he left. There's a chance he was kidnapped too. I will set Miles on the case immediately. Head straight to Lake Caution; it's possible that Mesprit hasn't been taken yet. Now more than ever, it is imperative that you bring my sister back here, if she isn't safe even in her own home. Go now; there is no telling how much time you'll have, if any,"** he bid once they'd told him what had happened.

Team R agreed fervently, and raced out of the dungeons.

They forewent dinner, preferring to reach their destination as soon as possible. The trio traveled until the moon was directly above them. Only then did they stop and rest for the night.

* * *

 **The concept of the Lorii District was developed by SilverScepter, by the way.**

 **The next post shall include: a wetland, a geyser, and unworthy adversaries.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Grand Wetland ( watch?v=6ugDNX_yX_M)**

The trio arrived at their final target much later than they'd meant to. A freak storm had literally appeared out of nowhere while they'd been passing near Celestial Spire, and had forced them to seek shelter until it had disappeared just as inexplicably as it had arrived. According to the boys, the weather was grossly distorted due to Giratina's meddling with space-time. Formora had known this for ages, of course, but she'd never actually seen anything like it before.

In any case, it was around dinnertime when they finally arrived at Grand Wetland. The marsh was indeed grand, stretching far into the distance, the end out of sight. The tall, itchy grass was half-flooded, and made loud _squish, squish_ sounds whenever Firnen took a step. Small ponds dotted the landscape like pepperonis on a pizza (Boy, she was hungry…), bubbling lazily in the June heat. It was also incredibly humid, annoying Formora to no end as she wiped sweat off her brow for the umpteenth time. She'd rather liked Hidden Cove; why couldn't Mesprit have chosen a home more closer to her intelligent brother?

The path through the marsh abruptly ended in dark shadows just up ahead, even though there was still plenty of light left in the sky. They had arrived.

Formora wasted no time in talking about the dungeon or their mission, and marched swiftly inside.

 **B1F**

The inside was not that different from the outside. The ground was still comprised of tall, wet grass that advertised the presence of anyone stepping through it. The walls were made of thick, impenetrable bushes, and there were large ponds everywhere. Cattails as tall as Blazikens stretched high above Formora's head along the banks, along with bright orange lilies and other marsh plants. It was still quite humid, but at least the trio were alone in this room.

Plus the Stairs were with them, so that was an added bonus.

 **B2F-B6F**

The foes here, they found, were mainly water-types, which was absolutely no problem for them. There were only three types of enemies, being Tynamo, Corphish, and Lombre. The little diversity in both foe and type proved this trip to be quite uneventful, really.

The weather tended to cloud up frequently, weakening all non-normal-type moves, but since it affected the enemies as well Formora let it slide. Even if only Team R had been affected, it still wouldn't have mattered.

They were simply too strong.

 **B7F-B8F**

The trio had run across a Luminous Orb on B7F, and allowed it to lead them right through the dungeon, easily avoiding all enemies by use of a mental map. The next floor had the Stairs right in their starting room, and the floor after held nothing of interest, only more foes.

The trio did, however, eat three apples. It was dinnertime, after all.

 **B10F-B11F**

On the tenth floor, however, they received chilling news. While wandering through a room with a giant pond in the middle, Giratina's muffled voice sprouted from their bag on Kia's shoulder.

" **Team Renegade, are you there?"**

The trio stopped and took out the mirror.

"Yes, what is it?" Formora inquired, curious as to why their leader needed them.

" **I have received word from Field Agent Murkrow. She brings horrible news: Uxie has been taken by the same force that took Azelf,"** Giratina told them grimly.

Formora jerked slightly, not at all expecting this.

"What?! How? When?" she demanded, holding the mirror closer to her face. Had he been taken moments before Team R had arrived in Hidden Cove?

" **It happened yesterday. She saw Uxie travelling with the Hooded Brotherhood—do you know of them? Yes? Excellent—by the east coast when out of nowhere a yellow ring appeared in the air. A purple, mitten-like hand came out of the loop, grabbed Uxie, and whisked him away before the HB could do anything about it. It certainly matches what you three have told me. Have you made contact with Mesprit yet?"** he informed.

"We're in Grand Wetland right now," Firnen responded.

" **I do not want the last of my siblings to be taken before you speak with her. Move with great haste. Report to me as soon as you can,"** Giratina instructed before the mirror went back to reflecting Formora's face.

Feeling an ominous shade fall over them, the team did as their leader bade, quickening their pace and fervently hoping they weren't too late.

 **Central Grand Wetland**

A vast lake that stretched far into the distance greeted them as they came out of the dungeon. The marsh looked the same as ever, and Formora yet again had to clear her brow of sweat.

The lake looked normal enough, but they all knew it was secretly an illusion. Even so, the water bubbled menacingly, and any Pokemon not aware of the deception would think twice about jumping into a seemingly-boiling lake.

A deep rumbling cut through the air, then a _huge_ jet of water burst from the water's surface near what was probably the center of the lake. The column of water climbed higher, higher, and higher still, until it had to have been at least as tall as Giratina. Then the geyser fell back to the earth, back into the water, and all was still and silent once more.

Firnen whistled, breaking the silence. "Wow! Never seen one of those in person before. Do you think it's real, or part of the illusion?"

"Who cares? Come on, we have a job to do," Formora said impatiently, remembering Giratina's urge of haste.

She took a running leap, and jumped into the water.

A funny tingle coursed through her body as she hit the surface, then it was gone and she landed somewhat gently onto a shallow tidepool.

A few moments later, Kia and Firnen joined her. They all looked up, and saw only a faint pink aura where the surface of the water had been. They were now in a spacious cavern. The only exit lay in front of them, covered in shadows.

"Come on," Formora repeated, picking herself up and delving into yet another watery dungeon.

* * *

 **Lake Caution ( watch?v=2ynG4m80alM)**

 **B1F-B2F**

Man, she was getting rather sick of water-based dungeons. She knew the Lake Trio obviously liked lakes, but couldn't they have, ya know, branched out a bit and live in a forest, or better yet a tundra?

At least the humidity was gone, replaced by a chill so slight it was hardly noticeable after a while. The floor was once more made of sand, blanketed by a shallow, cobalt tide. The walls were made of smooth, steel-gray stone with no flaws or decorations. Lily pads grew here and there along the water, and dark navy patches marked deeper spots. Formora made sure to steer clear of those areas; they were making her quite uncomfortable

That was all there was to this dungeon, so Team R set forth. The foes were all pure water-types, and for the most part didn't give them much trouble. Once or twice they had to pause to recover their strength, but other than that this dungeon was a breeze. Corphish, Huntail, Wailmer, Poliwhirl, and Gorebyss just couldn't seem to defeat them.

 **B3F**

Shortly after arriving, Formora found a Blue Gummi submerged in the water. Curious as to what this one tasted like, she picked it up, shook off the excess water, and experimentally took a bite.

Huh, watermelon.

Considering watermelons were mostly water, she supposed it made sense.

 **B4F-B7F**

The next few floors passed by uneventfully. The trio picked up a few more Oran Berries and apples along the way, in between searching for the Stairs and fighting the ubiquitous enemies.

Team R didn't waste much time, preferring to get through each floor as quickly as they could, in the hopes that Mesprit was still safe.

— **Waypoint—**

With the waypoint came the change of terrain aesthetics. The shallow tidepool was still present, of course, but it was a transparent turquoise now, with deeper patches marked by a vibrant teal and a sharp drop in temperature. There were more lily pads, and 10-foot-tall cattails grew against the jagged stone walls. Thankfully, there was a steady draft, cheering Formora slightly.

She tapped the Kangaskhan statue, and moved on.

 **Deep Lake Caution ( watch?v=IdBgLLuiE0o)**

 **B1F-B3F**

No new foes were found here, nor did the terrain change anymore. The trio moved on, and happened to find a Kecleon Shop on the first floor. The shopkeeper sold only Orbs, none of which Team R found useful. So, they continued forward, defeating enemies and picking up what items they thought they could use.

 **B4F**

Something had occurred to Formora for some time now, and finally she brought her concern to light once they had reached a moment where they could talk without being interrupted.

"I have a thought...What if this is all just one big farce?" she said slowly. "I mean, the Lake Trio are powerful Pokemon, right? They're almost as strong as our leader, yet they get captured by a _hand_? I don't know, something seems off to me."

"You have a point there, Lady. Uxie just _happened_ to be taken in front of witnesses who could spread the word. If I wanted to hide without fear of anyone looking for me, pretending to be kidnapped would be a good show to put on for the world," Firnen agreed after a moment's silence.

It did make sense, and Formora frowned. So, the Lake Trio had decided to hide like cowards, huh? Well, once they found Mesprit, she'd soon be singing of her brothers' locations. Formora would make sure of it. And whoever the hand belonged to would soon find it separated from his or her body _permanently_.

 **B5F-B6F**

With that in mind, a cold determination came over Team Renegade, and they sped for the end, letting nothing get in their way.

 **Lake Caution Depths**

As was the norm, the trio found themselves in a vast cavern with an equally vast lake. More stalactites and stalagmites littered the area like teeth in some wicked mouth. The stone floor petered out into soft sand the closer it got to the shore, where teal waves gently caressed the ground. In the center of the lake, Formora spotted a geyser bubbling angrily. She looked up, and saw the pink aura of the illusion miles above her. So the geyser had been real after all.

The path circled about a third of the lake before turning perpendicular into the lake like an L. The path formed a small peninsula, and best of all there were three Pokemon in the center, though they were too far away to identify.

Even so, the sight of other Pokemon made Formora's heart quicken with anticipation, and she hurried to meet them. Kia tossed aside their bag, following with glee.

As they drew closer, Formora's eye was drawn to a small, floating gray Pokemon with pink tendrils on her head.

Mesprit.

"—our hearts are not easily swayed, which is why we're being sought after by the Dark," Mesprit was saying.

Formora felt a slow, malicious grin slide across her face. She stepped forward, focused solely on the legendary in front of her.

"Greetings, Mesprit. I trust you know why we're here?" she said.

Mesprit and her companions turned to look at the newcomers.

"You three! Team Renegade!" Formora glanced at the speaker, and her eyes went wide.

It was the Shiny Litwick. And beside her, carrying a bag, was the Pumpkaboo.

Ohhhh, this day just kept getting better and better!

"You!" Formora exclaimed in surprise and delight.

"Were you always wearing that bow around your neck?" the Pumpkaboo asked, nodding to the Froslass Bow.

Formora looked down at it, fingering it fondly. "My Froslass Bow? It was gifted to me recently by our most glorious leader for causing mayhem across the land."

"I assume you three are envoys of the Dark?" Mesprit scowled, getting back to the matter at hand.

"Indeed, we are! You see, our leader has grown tired of your vow of neutrality. He wishes for you and your brothers to pick a side already. Either way, you'll be returning with us. Whether you are harmed or not depends solely on you. So, Mesprit, what will it be? Alliance or obliteration?" Kia purred, fanning his wings.

Mesprit was silent for a moment, thinking hard.

"This would have happened eventually...Alright, I choose the side of Light! I will never join the likes of you! Tell _Him_ that the Lake Trio openly declare rebellion!" she shouted, tails lashing back and forth.

Ooh, how fun!

"You fool! You've just sealed your fate. We'll get the locations of your brothers out of you soon, I promise!" Firnen snarled, taking a step forward.

"Wait, you weren't the ones to kidnap Azelf and Uxie?" the Litwick piped up in confusion.

"Shut up, pipsqueak! We had nothing to do with it, so they must be in hiding," Formora growled.

"If the Dark wasn't the one to kidnap my brothers...then who did?" Mesprit wondered.

"They truly are missing? Hmm, this is an unexpected problem. No matter, you'll do just fine," Firnen grinned maliciously.

"We won't let you! Thanks, by the way," the Pumpkaboo stormed, coming to stand beside Mesprit.

"Thank us? Whatever for?" Kia asked in utter bewilderment.

"If it weren't for you three, we never would've become an exploration team!"

O-okay then...? Team R shared a nonplussed look.

"Well, exploration team or not, you will still be annihilated. Surrender while you can," Formora demanded, crossing her arms.

"Never!" the girls shouted.

Idiots.

"Surrender now or I'll tie your tails in a Gordian knot," Formora offered once more.

"But the only way to get past a Gordian knot is to cut through it!" Mesprit protested.

"Exactly," Formora agreed, smiling wickedly.

Oksana had told her about the infamous knot and how to tie one. Formora would've loved to tie Mesprit's tails into the knot around an iron ring in the dungeon, so the legendary could not fly away. Formora would leave her only a knife, and watch in glee to see if the legend would cut off her own tails or not.

Ah, that'd be wonderful to watch.

She thrust the fantasy away, returning to the real world. All three enemies had horrified looks on their faces, much to Formora's amusement.

"We're going to win, you know. We have a legendary on our side," Mesprit recovered, a green aura briefly outlining her body.

Future Sight, from the look of it. Hm, they'd have to be on the lookout for it here in a few minutes.

"And we care why?" she retorted, watching them carefully.

"Because you're going to be defeated! Flame Burst!" the Litwick cut in, dashing forward and sending a volley of fire from her flame straight at them.

About time.

* * *

 **Boss Battle (** **watch?v=aJQ5HsXlPTo** **)**

Formora dove out of the way, neatly evading the fiery blast.

"Shadow Ball," she intoned, throwing the purple blob of darkness back at the stupid girl.

The Litwick faltered, and the attack knocked right into her, sending her flying through the air.

"Ezra!" Mesprit exclaimed, a blue outline surrounding her and the Litwick. The Being of Emotion used her Psychic to catch the Litwick before the latter fell into the boiling lake.

"Haha! I love fighting dissenters," Firnen laughed as he dove forward, raking the Pumpkaboo cruelly across the face with Dragon Claw.

"It's so satisfying to see the hope die in their eyes," Kia agreed, zooming behind Mesprit to blast her in the back with Dragon Breath.

Mesprit turned to deal with Kia as Firnen and the Pumpkaboo squared off. He unleashed a Dragon Rage at her, but she countered the attack with Razor Leaf.

"Nice try, but just give up! We _always_ capture those we've come to abduct," he laughed.

Well, except for Xerneas and the Lunar Wind, but they didn't need to know that…

The Litwick, who'd been standing around doing nothing, suddenly gasped.

"You kidnapped Ben!" she screamed, tears coming to her eye as she pointed an accusing hand at the trio.

As if to underline her words, Mesprit's Future Sight struck. From out of nowhere a blast of green energy hurtled downwards at Team Renegade. The blow would have been devastating had Firnen not shielded them with his Protect.

Idiots.

"Who?" Formora sighed, getting rather bored. For a legendary, Mesprit sure wasn't very fun to fight.

"Shiny Riolu. Jungle Thicket," the Litwick answered, trembling violently in anger.

Oh! That imbecile.

"Ah, yes, him. You know him?" Kia asked gleefully. Formora grinned, remembering that ludicrous 'battle'. He'd deserved to lose. Was he even still alive? Probably not, knowing Oksana.

"He was our friend, and you kidnapped him!" the Pumpkaboo screamed in rage.

"Ooh, you _do_ know him! I remember the fight. He tried his hardest to beat us, but we took him down so very easily. I think he might've broken a bone or so as well. His screams were delightful to hear. He cried on the way to our base, you know. Said he had to get back to his friends, that they needed him. He was so forlorn when he realized he wasn't going home again," Formora laughed.

The three enemies stared at her in outraged horror.

"You monsters," the Litwick stated.

Formora raised an eyebrow. That was the second time someone had called her a monster. Perhaps she should start keeping score…

"Can we get back to the fighting already?" Firnen sighed irritably, crossing his arms.

Formora fervently agreed.

The three foes paused in shock, probably due to the apathy Team R had for their victims.

"Ice Beam!" Formora declared out of nowhere, taking advantage of the break. She targeted the Pumpkaboo, and the stupid girl froze in fright, watching as the flurry raced towards her.

"No you don't!" the Litwick shouted, jumping in front of her friend. The Ice Beam nailed the Litwick instead, and she became frozen solid in ice.

Huh, unexpected, but not unwanted.

"Idiot," Formora said to the Litwick popsicle before turning back to the fight, which had _finally_ picked up again.

Mesprit sent Firnen sprawling with Extrasensory, but Formora avenged her friend with a quick Powder Snow, which managed to nick the Pumpkaboo as well. The latter flinched, but did not falter in her battle with Kia.

Kia caused the ground to open up, and his Earth Power completely enveloped the Pumpkaboo. She screamed, but wasn't too badly damaged, as she was resistant to the attack.

"Hex!" Formora jumped in surprise, for she hadn't been expecting the Litwick to thaw out so quickly. Well, she _was_ a fire-type…

A purple wave of malicious energy slammed into her, and Formora screamed. Not in pain, but anger. How _dare_ this stupid little Shiny think she had the upper hand against the Dark's Chosen!

Thankfully, Kia quickly landed on top of the Litwick, knocking her down to the ground. He held her fast, pinning her so she couldn't move while taking care not to touch her flame.

"Don't treat My Lady Formora that way. You need to be punished," he chided gently.

The Pumpkaboo started to run towards them, but Formora and Firnen quickly blocked her path.

"Don't come any closer. You wouldn't want your Shiny friend to get hurt, would you?" Formora smiled viciously, thinking of all the fun things she'd do to these three enemies.

"For attacking the Queen of Ice, I sentence you to...my Guillotine!" Firnen laughed, his tusks glowing white with pure, raw _power_.

"This is bad! If Guillotine hits, Ezra will be knocked out instantly!" Mesprit gasped to the Pumpkaboo.

Firnen stalked towards the Litwick slowly, savoring the fear in her eye. She struggled as hard as she could, but was ultimately too weak to escape Kia's grasp. The Fraxure raised his tusks above her head, preparing to come down with all of his might upon her neck.

Suddenly, something barreled straight into Formora, knocking her down. She heard a grunt from Firnen, then a screech from Kia.

"Ahh!" he screamed. Formora looked up, and saw that his face was burned, and the Litwick's flame was higher than normal.

"Pumpkaboo. Astonish," Firnen muttered to Formora as he helped her up. Ah.

The Litwick was back near Mesprit, but the Pumpkaboo was gearing up for another Astonish. When she launched herself, Firnen actually _caught_ her in his hands. He held her by the ruffle on her head.

"You little troublemaker," he growled down at his captive, who stared back defiantly.

"For that, you are going to pay dearly," he continued, holding a Dragon Claw against her face.

"Gouge out her eyes," Formora giggled, remembering the Kirlia from a couple weeks ago.

"Good idea!" Firnen agreed as he slowly brought his crooked Claw down to the Pumpkaboo's left eye. She squeezed her eyes shut-as if _that_ would save her-and screamed.

Formora watched with great anticipation, eager for blood and pain.

She did not get her wish, for a _massive_ Flame Burst crashed into Firnen just as he touched the Pumpkaboo's eyelid.

"Gahh!" Firnen yelled, flinging the Pumpkaboo away as his entire body was set aflame.

Formora turned, and saw that the enraged Litwick's flame was ten feet tall. She must've eaten a Violent Seed to become so strong in just a few short seconds. How cute, to think that using items could save them from Team R.

Formora chucked a Shadow Ball packed with her cheated rage at the culprit. The Ball slammed into her, and the Litwick went limp. However, a bright white light shone down upon the Litwick, the telltale sign of a Reviver Seed.

Formora scowled, and instead turned back to Firnen, helping him put out the flames on his body.

"Healing Wish!" she heard Mesprit intone. She looked over at them, but the weakened legendary was already eating an Oran Berry, courtesy of the ghosts, who were both fine and hale.

Mesprit said something else, but Formora was too far away to hear it. She did, however, notice that Mesprit prepared another Future Sight.

"Psychic!" she continued, a blue outline surrounding both her and Kia.

Kia was telekinetically lifted high into the air, and slammed brutally down upon the ground.

His eyes rolled up in his head, and went still. Firnen too fell unconscious, having finally succumbed to his burns.

Leaving only Formora.

She crossed her arms. "You really think you will win? You may have knocked out my teammates, but I am much more stronger than them."

"Why are you doing all this?!" the Litwick demanded.

Huh, third time someone had asked her that. She definitely needed to start keeping score now.

"We are merely giving the world what it gave us. We three were rejected by everyone, destined to never lead happy lives while the Light reigned. We were given the chance by our leader to make the world suffer as we did. I, being the personal favorite of _He Who Is_ , will have the personal opportunity to turn the world black," she explained, ending with a wicked smile.

Mesprit put her hands on her hips. "I don't think you'll have the chance." she said mildly.

"Why so?" Formora returned, raising an eyebrow.

As if in answer, Future Sight struck. Formora was hurled far through the air, until she crashed into the far wall, creating a Froslass-shaped hole a foot deep. Stunned, she collapsed onto the ground and did not get back up for several seconds.

When she finally had her wits about her again, she stirred, as did her teammates. She'd definitely been caught off guard, but she wasn't down just yet.

"Ergh...You've certainly gotten stronger," Kia said through gritted teeth as he tested his wings.

"But you will still bow to us!" Formora hissed, standing back up.

From literally out of nowhere, a large yellow ring appeared in the air between the two groups.

"What is that?" Formora asked, staring in shock at the unexpected intrusion.

Out of the ring came a giant purple hand with a pink wrist and mitten-like hands. It was heading straight for Mesprit.

"It's the kidnapper! Mesprit, run!" the Litwick screamed.

But Mesprit was a second too slow, and the purple hand enclosed itself around her, pinning her arms to her sides.

Oh. _Oh_. This was the thing that was kidnapping the Lake Trio! How _dare_ it?!

"Stop that hand!" Formora shouted, throwing a Shadow Ball at the hand. It weaved out of the way easily as it took Mesprit back towards the yellow ring in the sky while dodging the five Pokemon's attacks.

"Let me go!" Mesprit howled, struggling in vain to free herself.

Formora was forced to watch in helpless rage as the hand went back through the ring, A moment later the ring disappeared too, making Team Renegade's mission a complete failure.

No.

No no no no _NO!_

"No!" the Litwick wailed, bashing her stubby hands against the ground.

"Argh! Whoever did this is going to get all of their bones broken," Formora seethed, red tingeing the edges of her vision.

She turned back towards the ghost girls. "We may not have Mesprit, but we can still take these two. I will have _so much fun_ with them."

"I don't think so!" the Pumpkaboo shouted, throwing an Orb down at her feet as Team R stalked towards them.

A bright blue beam shone down upon the ghosts, enveloping them in an opaque light. When the light dissipated, the ghosts were nowhere to be seen.

"Wha…? Ergh, they had an Escape Orb on them. Come on! I am _not_ going back empty-handed!" Formora screamed, sprinting out of the dungeon.

* * *

The moon had fully risen by now, and the cover of night gave the Pumpkaboo the perfect cover. The Litwick would have more trouble remaining hidden, and Formora cast around rapidly for the sight of a bright blue flame. But she found no such thing, and she whipped around to Kia, screaming, "Search the area!"

While the Vibrava took to the sky, she and Firnen continued their search on the ground. It was too dark to see any tracks, and after an hour they were forced to admit defeat outside of Lake Caution.

Formora screamed with rage, slamming her fist into a nearby tree. She left a huge dent that bloodied her knuckles, but she did not notice the pain.

"We were _so close!_ And those two girls were there, too! It would've been the _perfect_ gift for our lord! But no! We failed! We failed, Firnen, and now we have nothing to bring back home!" she ranted as Kia returned.

"I couldn't find them anywhere; it's like they disappeared," he reported unhappily. "Shall...Shall we make our report?"

Formora was solely tempted to say no, but she sighed and gave the go-ahead.

As they made the despondent walk back to base, they updated Giratina on the day's events. He was not pleased that Team Renegade had failed to bring back Mesprit, or that the latter had been taken. There were no leads on where the Trio had been brought to, and all they could do now was hope the kidnapper would get sloppy. They told Giratina of the Litwick and Pumpkaboo, and how this had not been their first encounter with the two. Upon hearing that the ghosts had gotten away, Giratina had abruptly sighed off, leaving the trio all alone.

Once they had made it back home, they headed straight for their rooms, not bothering to look or speak to anyone they passed.

Formora slammed open her door, growling "Shut it," to Orzhova's demands for identification.

She locked herself in her room, got into bed (which didn't feel as comfy as it usually was for some reason), and stared at the ceiling for hours.

* * *

 **I live! Uni is...interesting x.x**

 **I'm going to try something new with the dungeon scenes. Obviously it's rather difficult to make each and every battle within interesting, and I've been told that multiple times. So, I'm going to start skipping most battles, and by extension most floors. I'll only pause to include important battles, such as when a team member gets knocked out. I'll still include the more amusing stuff, such as traps (NO ONE IS IMMUNE TO THE ALMIGHTY WARP TRAP), Kecleon Shops, fun with Gummis, etc. This'll help get the story going more smoothly, I think, and should hopefully keep you guys entertained. After a few posts like this, please let me know what you think! Please note, though, that in certain dungeons I** _ **will**_ **go floor-by-floor. Because build-up.**

 **Another note: Before, Firnen used Dragon Pulse. However, him learning three new moves in such a short span of time seems too OP for me, so let's just say [redacted] thought she saw him use Dragon Pulse, when it was really Dragon Rage. I won't tell if you won't. I was still getting the hang of MD writing then.**

 **The next post shall include: humiliation, strange weather, and a taiga.**


	24. Rainbows and Other Useless Things

**Chapter 7. Rainbows and Other Useless Things**

* * *

On the way down to the cafeteria, Formora was cornered by Team Miasma.

"Huh, I'm surprised you're still showing your face around here! If I had been defeated by a mere hand, I would've just decided to live in a hole for the rest of my life. But I applaud you, Formora. You're doing a _brave_ thing by sticking around," Binacle snickered, the 'brave' in an overly mocking tone.

"I don't know, you guys. Give her some credit; she's got to be the first person to ever get bested by a hand. Congrats, Formy, you've set a new world record!" Cradily chuckled.

"Why are you steell here, anyweh? You fehled meeserably; there's no redemption to be found. Even eef you *snort* keell the Light's Champion, everyone here weell only remember you as the girl who lust to a hand. And we'll mehke sure no one forgets. So, leettle 'Champion', just geeve up. Eet's what our leader would wunt," Sonya advised before the trio moved along, freeing Formora.

Angry tears welled up, and she stubbornly wiped them away, determined to never let anyone see her weakness. So what if the mystery hand had stolen Mesprit? She would find the owner, and make him pay in blood.

She almost didn't eat breakfast, not wanting to deal with everyone staring at her. Or running into Team Miasma again. But, she knew she'd have to face the crowd eventually, so she might as well get it over with.

She felt everyone's stares as she entered the room. Hundreds of eyes glanced up to see her, to see the idiot who was defeated by a hand. She knew her face was a bright red, and every instinct was screaming to turn back, to hide underneath the covers of her bed and pretend she didn't exist.

But she quelled those feelings, and got in line with her head held high, her face daring anyone to make fun of her.

Thankfully, the Pokemon at her table didn't say anything negative to Team Renegade as they all convened. None of the trio made very much eye contact with the others, and ate little.

At least Team Miasma weren't here.

"Hm? Oh, they're off on a mission. Mimikyu's been spotted entering Kyogre's home, so they're off to bring Mimikyu and Kyogre in, dead or alive. They should be back late afternoon," Miles explained when Formora voiced the observation.

Huh. Hopefully the mission would take longer than that. Maybe even forever.

Team R did not have any missions on tab for today, so they were quite lost on what to do next.

"Let's go out and capture Shinies," Formora suggested in a hard voice. "If we get lucky and find the real enemy, then he'll _have_ to forgive us."

None of them had any better ideas on how to regain their lost favor, so they packed their bag and headed out.

* * *

They decided to focus their hunt near the southern part of the continent, near the mountain range that bisected most of the bottom half. Here, forests and highlands dominated the land, covering the terrain in leafy, evergreen trees. The trio scoured the forests all around the mountains, but could not find any Shiny Pokemon.

They did, however, find something quite strange. After exiting a forest for the fourth (Ugh, how she hated that number) time, they stumbled upon a taiga, right in the middle of nowhere. The strangest part, though, was the weather. On the side of the forest, the sky was clear and bright, but on the side of the taiga it was cloudy, and snow was lightly falling. The two climates were severed neatly in half, one ending abruptly before giving way to the other in a completely parallel pattern.

"Huh. That's…new," Firnen observed, putting his hands on his hips.

"It must have come into existence only recently," Kia agreed.

The sight of a snowy biome amidst the scorching summer heat was a welcome sight to Formora. Plus, she was curious about this dungeon's little niche.

"Let's go check it out!" she said, running into the biome.

 **Frostbite Taiga ( watch?v=_lS52Itco-4)**

The path led them through a dense, coniferous forest. The mountains were always faintly visible in the distance, and by now the snow had stopped falling. The boys' teeth soon began chattering as the temperature plummeted. Formora, however, felt _great._ The cold refreshed her, made her feel more alive. She even forgot about the events of yesterday for a time!

To no one's surprise, the path led them to a dungeon, whose entrance was guarded by thick pines that occasionally dumped piles of snow whenever their burden got too big to carry.

A Shiny Litten was standing in front of the entrance, a paper in its hand and a grin on its face. Before Team Renegade could sneak up on it, it vanished into the dungeon.

"Today's our lucky day, boys," Formora snickered as she and her teammates followed their new quarry.

 **B1F**

The inside was only marginally warmer than the outside, but there was still a deep chill that permeated through the floor, affecting all who were not ice-types. The floor was composed of a ducky, greenish-gray grass that had obviously never seen the warmth of spring. Tiny, ice-blue flowers sprung from the ground, and a thin layer of frost covered everything in the room. The walls were made of a light gray rock, with little snow-filled pockets.

It was quite peaceful here, and Formora was almost tempted to just call it quits and live here instead. But she quickly thrust the thought away. She had better things to do right now.

"Let's go. We have a Litten to catch."

 **B2F-B4F**

There were a good plenty of ice-type foes here in this wonderful place, naturally, but oddly enough there were a couple of fighting-types too. Formora didn't care, as she had no reason to worry about them. The damage they dealt to her was insignificant, and she hardly had trouble defeating the many Medichams and Riolus that thought she was an easy target.

The ice-types, however, were another story. The Piloswines, Mamoswines, and Delibirds easily resisted her own attacks, and proved to be quite capable of pummeling Firnen, and especially the doubly-weak Kia. There were plenty of times both had nearly fainted, but quick take-downs from Formora always saved them. Their supply of Oran Berries rapidly defeated, and soon they had to rely on either walking off the pain or searching for any berries in the dungeon.

Snow occasionally fell gently from the sky, letting Formora experiment with her Ability. She found that the presence of snow let her cloak herself in invisibility, at least for a few short moments. This allowed her to dodge almost every attack, but unfortunately the Piloswines and Mamoswines had Snow Cloak as well. So, fights against those two species often lasted longer than usual, as both parties could evade attacks more easily.

There was also a new hazard they had to contend with here: traps. Set randomly in the ground were traps that did anything from summoning more enemies to making them trip and lose their held items. Even Kia, who normally flew instead of walked, and the levitating Formora fell victim as soon as they hovered _over_ one. It was quite annoying, and more than once they had to stop to deal with some new problem caused by the effects.

But, even so, Team R pressed onwards, ever alert for the miscolored Litten. Catching it would surely appease Giratina.

Right?

 **B5F**

Firnen asked that very question on the next floor.

"Will…will this really get us back into _His_ good graces again?" he piped up nervously, from out of nowhere as Formora led them down a short hall.

"It cannot hurt to try," Kia shrugged uncomfortably.

"Hush! It _will_. That Litten might just be the Light's Chosen for all we know! For every Shiny we capture, the less places my enemy can hide. It'll work. It has to," Formora insisted.

Though, the last sentence was more meant for herself than for her teammates.

 **B6F-B8F**

The group hardly spoke during these three floors. All three were still ashamed of their disgrace, their lessening in their leader's eyes. They so desperately wanted to be back on top again, and they clung fervently to the hope that bringing back a prisoner would help set things right.

It was a stupid wish, but it was all they could think of.

 **B9F**

 **Weather Condition: Snow**

Upon arriving, Formora had the distinct sense that someone else was on this floor with them. Judging by the looks on her teammates' faces, they felt it too.

They treaded carefully through the floor, on the lookout for the Shiny Litten. A Pokemon such as it would be woefully out of place in this icy, wonderful dungeon.

And after ten minutes of search, they found it walking towards them in a hall.

"Oh! I thought I felt other Pokemon here. You three must be them," she giggled, clutching the paper she carried tightly.

Formora said nothing, only stepped into the wall beside them.

"Huh? How'd you do—AH!" the Litten screamed as Kia Bulldozed her. She fell against the floor, stunned for several seconds by the super-effective attack.

Formora hit her with Shadow Ball just to be safe before they approached the fallen fire-type. As the boys bound and gagged her, Formora read aloud the paper she had been carrying.

" 'Dearest Annalise,

As I write this, my heart already aches to be with you again. Do you remember the place where we first kissed? Meet me there at noon for a special surprise. I think you'll enjoy it very much, my heart's twin.

Forever yours,

Rockruff'"

Formora crumpled up the note and threw it away. So there was a Rockruff waiting at the end, was there? He might be Shiny as well, which would please Giratina even further…

 **B10F-B13F**

Travelling with a struggling captive wasn't as hard as it sounded. They'd done this before, of course, and the Litten was small enough to be easily contained within Firnen's grasp.

However, an unfortunately-placed Trip Trap did make the Fraxure let go of his burden once on B11F. The desperate foe wiggled furiously towards a hall, slowly inching her way to freedom.

"None of that," Formora reprimanded, yanking hard on her ear before picking her up and handing her back to Firnen.

Eventually, the captive settled down, tears streaming down her face.

 **B14F**

After a long trek through the floor, the trio finally found the room with the Stairs. Formora began heading towards it, then she heard the all-too-familiar sound of a trap activating.

She looked down just as she felt an odd tugging sensation in her gut.

"Dammit," she said right before she was teleported to some random spot on the floor.

She blinked, having now found herself back in their starting chamber. She waited patiently, and felt another tugging sensation.

This one wasn't caused by a Warp Trap, but by her teammates descending.

 **Frostbite Highlands**

She found herself not on B15F, but outside. It appeared this was the end of the taiga. In front of her spanned a small stretch of rugged highlands. Not too far in the distance, mountains neatly sprouted from the ground like crops on a farm. There was one mountain near the center that was much taller than the rest, towering above the clouds. Since the path seemed to lead straight to that particular peak, Formora surmised it might be a dungeon.

About a mile away, the weather was completely severed in half once more. On this side, where Team Renegade were standing, it was cold and cloudy. On the mountain side, it was bright and sunny.

She turned her attention away from the terrain and climates. In front of her, carrying a rose in his mouth, was a Rockruff. He stared in horror at the bound Litten in Firnen's hands.

"Annalise?" he said, taking a step towards Firnen and his captive, who had resumed struggling.

Formora raised an eyebrow. So, these two knew each other? Excellent.

The Litten wiggled furiously, trying to cry out for her lover. But with the gag over her mouth, all she could manage were muffled squeaks. Firnen held onto her fast, digging his claws in her skin in an effort to persuade her to stop.

Formora stood in front of her party, holding a Shadow Ball in hand. "Not a step closer. You're not Shiny, so we have no problem with you, but I would be more than happy to hurt you if you give me a reason."

"What are you doing with Annalise?! Let her go!" the Rockruff demanded, spitting out the rose next to a small box big enough for a ring.

The Litten squeaked again, probably agreeing with him.

"No. We're taking her with us. You're better off finding someone else. We'll let you go, but don't get in our way," Formora shook her head as she turned to leave.

"Why?! What did she ever do to you?! What are you going to do to her?" the Rockruff shouted. She heard him run towards them, so she whirled around and hurled her Shadow Ball.

It was a solid hit, and the Rockruff was sent sprawling across the ground. Weakling.

The Litten screamed from underneath her gag, but piped down after getting slapped by Firnen.

"You don't want to know. I'll give you one more chance to move on. Otherwise, you're going to be needing more than a new girlfriend," Formora said coldly, standing over him.

The Rockruff turned to look at her, gritting his teeth. "Why? Why do this…?"

"Because the world is cruel to those born under circumstances they have no control over," Formora stated. "There's one who seeks to stop us from achieving our dream, and your girlfriend could be that person."

"I won't let you take her. I'll stop you!" the Rockruff insisted, baring his teeth.

He tried to get up, but Formora sent him back down with Powder Snow.

"Hurting others…won't make your dream come true. Sure, some of us are more fortunate than others, but it's up to you to decide how you want to see life. Instead of despairing for what you don't have, embrace what you _do_ have! And there are a lot of good people at there who are trying to help those in need. Look around, and you'll find them! Ruining lives won't get you anywhere; it'll just breed fear and terror! Love is the answer. Love, and hope. So, please, I beg you, stop doing these terrible things," the Rockruff pleaded.

A numb rage washed over Formora, until it seemed like her very cells were comprised of it. She gently picked up the Rockruff, as if coming to embrace him. Instead, she threw him back down to the ground, kneeling to land a solid punch to his gut.

"Have _you_ ever been hungry for eighteen years straight?! Have _you_ nearly died of hypothermia because you had nowhere to live?! Have _you_ ever had to live from day to day, not knowing when your next meal would be?! Well, until you have, _YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME HOW TO FEEL!_ You don't know what it's like to be cast aside like trash. People see you, oh they see you, but they ignore you, because it's better to pretend you don't exist, that nothing shatters their perfect little world than to actually give a damn! I finally have a home, and I am going to do whatever it takes to make sure those like us get the happiness we deserve. If it means giving the privileged a taste of what we've endured for years, _so be it,"_ Formora screamed.

A thought came to her.

"Today's your lucky day. You're going to be with your girlfriend after all. Kia, _get me some rope._ "

* * *

Seviper was startled to find them standing in the secret entrance holding not one but two captives.

"Have fun," Formora said gruffly, throwing the two onto the cold stone floor before heading inside the actual base.

It was just about dinnertime, so Team R quietly got in line and took their spots in the front of the room. It was an awkward affair, as all three felt that everyone else was staring at them, mocking them for their failure yesterday.

The only good thing was that Team Miasma hadn't returned, so at least Formora was spared from their teasing tonight.

"We brought a Shiny Litten and a normal Rockruff for you. They're in love, so you should be able to have a lot of fun with them," Formora said to her plate as Oksana came to the table.

"Oh? How sweet of you. And stop feeling so down on yourself. I'll have you know, Son's first meession weeth Team Miasma was a total bust, too. They had to keell a comatose Budew, who was een the hospeetal. Eenstead, they acceedentally teepped off security, so every eench of the floor was covered een cops. There was no way they could have gotten past them all, so they had to call eet off. The Budew woke a few days later and went back home, where he promptly had an unfortunate 'acceedent' eenvolving a tenth-story balcony. Perpetrated by Team Lev thees time, not Miasma. So you see, we all have those days," Oksana said, shrugging.

The thought of Team Miasma failing to kill a Pokemon in a _coma_ did indeed cheer Formora, and she even smiled once or twice as her tablemates conversed with one another.

"Man, the Assassin's Guild sure are taking their sweet time. Think they're having trouble?" Vesuvius commented idly after a while, picking his teeth with a toothpick.

"Kyogre isn't exactly easy to transport, and Mimikyu's no pushover. I'm sure they're on their way right now," Manectric reassured.

"Mm," Oksana hummed, holding her chin in her hands. Doubtless she wanted to be sure of her sister's safety.

"This is off-topic, and entirely random, but…can we invite other Pokemon to sit here with us?" Kia asked, shifting nervously in his seat and staring at his plate.

"I don't see why not. Why? Got someone in mind?" Miles asked.

Kia _blushed_. "No, no, just curious. Erm, if you don't mind, I am going to retire early. Goodnight."

He promptly stood up, and awkwardly left the room.

"What's up with him?" Katrina asked.

Firnen chuckled, but said nothing.

After dinner, Formora entertained herself by visiting the gym. She desperately needed to get stronger if she was going to take down the owner of the mysterious purple hand and the Lake Trio whenever she found them. She could've easily taken on Mesprit by herself, but taking on three legendaries and an unknown Pokemon at the same time…

After what happened with Xerneas, it was wise to be cautious.

* * *

Giratina was waiting to speak with her once she'd retired to her room for the night, feeling rather sore but satisfied. She felt her heart plunge with dread, but steeled herself for whatever what was to happen.

His face was already in her vanity mirror, looking more grotesque than it did when he was in the overworld.

"We brought a Shiny in today," she blurted out before he could speak. "And a normal Rockruff, they're in love, but the Shiny could be the one—"

" **Patience, Formora,"** Giratina interrupted. **"While I am displeased that you failed to bring in the Lake Trio, I do not fault you for it. There was no way to know that the kidnapper would show up when he or she did, and it sounds to me like it would have been a decisive victory for us if they hadn't. Azelf and Uxie were already long gone by the time you got to their homes. For now, I am setting our resources to finding the perpetrator and my lost siblings. We shall find them soon, I am sure of it. In the meantime, your Litwick and Pumpkaboo intrigue me. I will think on what to do about them. Until then, go about your normal duties. Capture more Shiny Pokemon, and let the world know we will not stop until they know our pain. Farewell."**

And with that, the face in her mirror vanished, leaving the surface clear once more. Formora blinked, having been expecting a long, loud lecture instead, and went to bed.

Even with her lord's assurance that he had forgiven her, she was still uneasy, and it took her a long time to fall asleep.

* * *

 **The next installment shall contain: a most kind and heroic deed.**


	25. Chapter 25

Team Miasma still had not returned by the time Formora sat down for breakfast. The others were quite worried, and to make matters worse…

"I sense a storm brewing right over that part of the ocean. It'll be a nasty, vicious tempest that'll flood all nearby dungeons; I've never Seen anything like it. Anyone that's not a water-type or _excellent_ swimmer will drown, and in a place like Kyogre's home? Oof, the pressure alone would kill any lesser creature. Those three had better come back, and soon," Miles reported grimly, a faraway look in his eyes.

Oksana twisted her napkin in her hands, ripping it into ribbons. She stood abruptly.

"I…need to work," she said curtly, hurrying out of the room.

Miles sighed, and nudged Formora. "I do have something for Team Renegade. I did some research last night, and your Shiny Litwick and Pumpkaboo are named Ezra and Carys, respectively, and are indeed a rescue team. They call themselves Team Banshee, and they appear to be a promising duo. No info yet as to where they are, but I'll get on that soon."

Names were useless to Formora, so she wasn't too excited.

* * *

After breakfast, the street kids from Firewood City came up to her.

"Miss Formora? We wanted to say thanks. Thanks for telling us about this place," Fennekin said shyly, toeing the ground.

"It's the least I could do for those in need. You guys enjoying it here?" Formora smiled, seeing herself when she first arrived in these kids.

"Oh, yes! We became an expl'ration team, Team 'Nspire, an' we're gonna help others like us an' get dem ta join da Dark!" Brandt said vehemently.

Formora laughed. "That's a beautiful goal. I wish you the best of luck."

The kids raced off, and Formora sobered, wondering what was going to be done about Team Miasma. It didn't seem like anyone was going to look for them in Kyogre's home, and who could blame them, with the storm coming? It'd be a suicide mission, and anyone who dared tried would have to be insane.

She thought about it for a second, and went up to the second floor to see Miles.

"What can I do for you?" he asked politely, looking up from a plethora of Intel reports.

"Out of curiosity, where does Kyogre live?" she asked innocently.

"Hm? In a dungeon called Roaring Waters, at the bottom in a place known as the World's Basement, for it is the deepest part of the ocean worldwide. Why?" he answered.

"It occurred to me that I didn't know where he lived, and that seemed like a hole in my training," she shrugged. "Thanks Miles."

She left before he could say anything else, and went on up to Kia's room and knocked on his door.

"Can I have the bag? I'm going to do some dungeon training," she said.

"Uh, sure. Would you like Firnen and I to accompany you?" Kia inquired.

"Nah, you two deserve a day off," Formora said casually.

"Very well, have fun," Kia said as he handed her their bag.

"Thanks," she said as she went down to Dungeon Alley.

Utilizing both the shops and storage, she filled the bag with Reviver Seeds, apples, Oran Berries, and packed an emergency Escape Orb. Once she was fully decked out in supplies, she headed outdoors.

Looking at the map, she found Roaring Waters was _miles_ from the eastern shore. She'd need a ride, but she'd rather not have anyone back home know what she was doing, for they'd certainly try to stop her.

She rowed herself to the mainland, and began making her way up the eastern shoreline, searching for a suitable water-type.

After about an hour, she spotted a Gyarados. She got its attention, and waved it over.

"Yes?" the Gyarados inquired politely.

"Could you take me to Roaring Waters? My…friends…might be trapped down there, and a bad storm's gonna be in that area soon," Formora asked.

"Oh no! Of course I'll take you there! You'll have to lead me, though. Hop on my back," the Gyarados agreed.

Formora obeyed, and led her to the dungeon.

* * *

 **Roaring Waters (** watch?v=D5XffCPTv_E **)**

The sky was gray, a precursor to what was to come later. The waters were choppy, and there was a small sandbar in front of the dungeon entrance, which was a mere underwater shadow.

"I don't know how long I'll be, but hopefully I'll be back with my…friends…before the storm hits. Wait here," Formora told Gyarados as she hopped onto the sandbar, staring into the murky waters below.

"Will do. Good luck," she said soberly.

Formora nodded her acknowledgement, took a deep breath, and jumped in.

 **B1F**

The light was quite poor inside the dungeon, with most of it coming from glowing coral growing along the edges of the tiny chamber. She broke off a piece, waving it in front of her so she could see better.

The mood of the dungeon was cold and unwelcoming. Freezing, navy water covered the dull gray sand on the floor. Teal, smooth coral walls boxed Formora in, uncomfortably reminding her of Castelia City and its narrow alleys. In the back of her head, the beginnings of a headache were starting to form as well.

Why was she doing this? She honestly didn't know. Team M had always been rude to her, so there was no reason for her to risk her life to save them. Who knew if they were even here, anyway? Maybe they'd been arrested, or were on their way back home right this second.

But…they _were_ part of her organization, for better or worse. Everyone (and especially Oksana) would be devastated if the trio were killed. She hadn't passed them on the way here, and there hadn't been a waiting water-type at the entrance. Besides, with this oncoming storm, the trio would've had to hoof it from the entrance back to shore. There was no way Sonya could swim that far, and Binacle and Cradily were slow as hell.

Screw it, she'd made it this far; she might as well go and check the entire dungeon. Miles said she was fated to fight atop Celestial Spire, right? That meant she wouldn't get killed doing this stupid rescue mission. There wasn't much she could do if it turned out Team M had been arrested, but she did have Oran Berries with her if they were injured.

"Well Formora, looks like you're a rescue team today," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she moved deeper into the dungeon

 **B2F-B4F**

Yay. More water-type Pokemon. Formora was just _thrilled_ to be fighting more water-types!

Except she was not, but she contented herself with the thought that when she found Team Miasma,

THEY OWED HER. BIG TIME.

Many deep-sea Pokemon attempted to stop Formora's rescue attempt. Stunfisks hid under the sand until she was practically on top of them, then leaped out and attacked her. Mantines, Jellicents, and Lanturns swam through the halls, searching for the ice/ghost intruder that plagued their home. Claunchers scuttled here and there, hoping to lacerate her body to ribbons with their razor-sharp pincers. Toxapexes slowly scoured the floor, ever alert for her. Or Corsolas.

All of the foes were stronger than what she was used to, but she was able to avoid most of their attacks by striking from inside the walls, as was her habit. The Jellicents, being half-ghost themselves, could follow her there, but luckily they weren't too much trouble to handle.

Overall, it was a pretty meh place.

 **B5F**

One thing that wasn't meh, however, was defeating a Mantine who dropped a One Shot Orb. Formora immediately snatched it up and put it into her bag. The glittery, girly-looking orb was one of her favorite items of all time.

That and Joy Ribbons.

Stupid Pikipek.

 **B6F-B9F**

Nothing too exciting happened on these floors. She avoided most foes, picked up useful items, stopped once or twice to rest and eat, so on and so forth. As she descended the floors, her headache grew slowly in intensity. Miles had mentioned something about deep-sea pressure, so she figured this was what he meant. The pain was tolerable, so she tried to ignore it as best she could.

 **B10F**

Huh, she made it to B10F. She supposed it would be too much to ask for to hope that this was the last floor? Probably, because why would her life _ever_ be ea—

"WHOA!" Formora gasped, feeling something sharp strike the small of her back, dashing her to the floor and making her drop her coral-torch.

She managed to catch herself before she fell face-first into the water, and quickly spun around to see just what had hit her.

Standing over her, a light blue leg covered in deadly poison, was a Toxapex. She felt the spot where its Poison Jab had struck her begin to tingle, and her arms began to tremble.

Ohhh no. Great. Just great. She was poisoned.

The Toxapex's gruff face twisted upwards in a gruesome smile as it took in her discomfort. It lashed out its leg at her again, catching her on the arm. Formora yanked her arm back, wincing in pain as she was Jabbed yet again.

She reached around to pull out a Pecha Berry from her bag, but it was deftly snatched from her hands by the Toxapex's other front leg. It flicked the bag behind it, where it landed on the other side of the room with a quiet splash.

"You bastard," Formora grimaced as her good arm gave out. She fell into the water, and quickly tilted her head upwards so she could still breathe.

Despite her failing strength, she managed to get herself to stand. She summoned a Shadow Ball in her non-Jabbed, trembling hand and threw it at the Toxapex. The light from the coral was near it, so its menacing form was still visible. However, her arm was shaking too much, and the ball went wide. The Toxapex didn't even need to move at all.

"Damn," Formora muttered as her vision began to grow hazy.

The Toxapex laughed, and spat a spray of purple liquid at her. She was drenched in the venomous ooze, and at once her vision went black.

She heard a _VREE_ sound from far away, then there was a flash of bright white light. Then she was suddenly thrust back into the dungeon.

What had happened?! What—oh.

She had fainted. Like a weakling.

Thank Arceus no one here but the Toxapex could tell that embarrassing tale. Time to eliminate the only witness, then.

The Toxapex spat another glob of Venoshock at her, and she threw herself towards the nearest wall. She landed on her hands, and used the momentum to launch herself into the wall, where she was safe.

Her enemy howled with cheated rage at seeing its prey get away. A quick Shadow Ball to its front legs had it howling again.

Formora chucked Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball at the miserable cretin. Fortunately, Toxapexes were incredibly slow, so it was only a matter of whittling it down little by little.

After a solid five minutes, it was gone, and Formora returned into the dungeon proper. She picked up her coral-torch and discarded bag, shook off as much water as she could, and resumed her trek, whistling a merry tune as she did.

 **B11F-B13F**

Thankfully no other Pokemon caused her as much trouble as that stupid Toxapex did. After that embarrassing ambush, she made _sure_ that she never let her guard down again. There were a few close calls with a persistent Jellicent on B12F and a Summon Trap cornering her on B13F, but she never allowed herself to faint again.

The farther down she went, the greater her headache became. It was like a storm was brewing in her head as well as outside!

Speaking of, on B12F she heard a faint rumble coming from way up above, presumably from outside the dungeon. Formora looked up, and quickened her pace, scowling fiercely. Sounded like the actual storm was approaching. She had to hurry if she was to rescue Team Miasma before they all drowned.

 **B14F**

As she was walking through the halls, trying as best as she could do ignore the pain in her head, she stumbled across a Sealed Chamber. A white door barred her entrance, requiring a Key. Formora looked at the lock, then simply phased through the door and into the chamber.

Inside lay a purple stone; a Dusk Stone. She picked it up, marveling at the evolutionary power it contained, then tossed it aside and left.

She didn't need a Dusk Stone, so why bother taking it? Besides, it was useless; Pokemon couldn't evolve anymore.

Utterly worthless.

 **B15F-B18F**

The pressure in her head kept on increasing, until she had a raging headache that refused to go away. It was incredibly distracting, and on B16F she nearly lost to a mere Clauncher. But she loved the challenge, and managed to persevere.

But…if the dungeon could end soon, that would be nice too.

 **The World's Basement**

And so it did.

The floor was still covered in navy blue water, but it was now made of a deep blue stone. Glowing red lines formed a pattern in the center of the _giant_ room similar to the ones on Kyogre's fins. There were a couple of lumps in the center of the room, but Formora was too far away to make them out. The room stretched on and on, and was easily big enough to contain a Wailord, maybe even two. Kyogre and Mimikyu were nowhere to be seen. To her delight, the air was freezing, but to her displeasure her headache had increased somewhat.

With a wince, she moved towards the center of the chamber, where the mysterious lumps were. As she got closer, she broke out into a pained sprint, for there were Cradily, Binacle, and Sonya!

They were unconscious, and covered from head to toes in bruises and welts. There was a large lump on Cradily's head, and one of Sonya's fingers was bent at an unnatural angle.

Her pulse quickened, and she immediately knelt down and pushed three Oran Berries into their mouths. She made their jaws bite into the berry flesh, and upon tasting the mystical healing properties of the berry all three groaned and stirred.

"F…Formora…? What are…you doing here…?" Cradily whispered, his unsteady gaze on her.

"Saving your hides. Come on, eat up! The storm's almost here!" Formora ushered as another overworld rumble made its way down to the World's Basement.

"Storm…?" Sonya inquired as she slowly chewed the berry. Team M's wounds began to disappear, but they would still need medical treatment when they got home.

"If we don't run now, we'll all drown or die from the pressure. You can feel it, can't you?" Formora said, bouncing impatiently. She stopped, as every movement antagonized her head.

"Ah, I see…" Cradily said as he struggled to his feet. "Move out, team…"

Argh, she didn't have time for this! She reached into her bag, pulled out an Escape Orb, and threw it to the ground.

A brilliant blue light shone down upon the four, and Formora felt a tugging sensation in her gut. The next thing she knew, they were on the sandbar outside the dungeon.

A powerful gust of wind assailed her, and she stumbled to regain her balance. Up above, smoky gray clouds were rapidly forming right on top of them, and she could see brief flashes of lightning within the clouds. To make matters worse, most of the sandbar had already been swallowed up by the rising water…

"Hey! You're back! Come on, hurry!" Never in her life had she been so relieved to hear someone's voice. Gyarados had stayed! She'd subconsciously known that there had been a strong chance Gyarados would flee when the storm hit, but she'd refused to acknowledge it for her own mental health.

Team Miasma dragged themselves onto Gyarados' back, and Formora wasted no time in joining them.

"Think you three can hold on?" Gyarados asked the three wounded assassins.

"We'll certainly do our best," Binacle said grimly.

And with that, Gyarados sped for the shore.

"How can I ever repay you?" Formora asked once they were back on land, far away from the storm.

Gyarados shook her head. "Don't worry about me; right now, your most important goal is to get your friends to a doctor. Saving them was payment enough."

She wouldn't hear anything else, and swam off.

Once she was gone, Formora pulled out her mirror. "Let me call us a ride...Yes, My Lord? Can you send Sumatra about 150 miles north of the Deadlands? I found Team Miasma…"

* * *

Everyone had the same shocked expression when Formora and Sumatra returned with Team Miasma, who were immediately sent to the infirmary.

"Where were they? How'd you find them?" they all asked.

"I went to Roaring Waters and rescued them. Yes, I knew about the storm," soon became her default answer after being asked for the millionth time.

Once she couldn't stand the attention any longer, she visited the team in the infirmary.

"Formora…thank you. You, uh, didn't have to do that for us…" Cradily said sheepishly, not meeting her eyes.

"Whatever. What happened, anyway?" she rolled her eyes.

"Mimikyu's learned a few new tricks since last time he was fought. He took us by surprise, and Kyogre was quick to clean up. He wanted us arrested, but Mimikyu said it would be better if we were left to die. Something about how if we were arrested _He Who Is_ would just bust us out anyway. We were too weak to move, so we were forced to just lay there in agony…Until you showed up," Binacle narrated softly.

"Unteel you showed up…" Sonya echoed.

"Hm. Well, whatever. Get well soon, or something like that," Formora shrugged as she turned to leave.

"Wait! Why'd you do it?" Cradily called after her.

"I don't know," Formora replied.

She was thoroughly tired of company by now, so she locked herself in her room and asked Teysa to send food up while she took out her puzzle.

* * *

 **Happy belated holidays, friends!**

 **Exactly one year ago, I had finished the original story, Light in the Darkness. It's…kinda weird, to be honest. It feels like I had completed it in May or so compared to an entire year. Apologies for not getting as far into this story; school and other stuff have been competing for my attention, and unfortunately it doesn't appear to get any better any time soon.**

 **But at least there's always summer vacation, yeah?**

 **The next post shall contain: a fiery bird, a lovestruck mercenary, and a whoooooooooole lotta rainbows.**

 **See you all next year.**

 **~Remi**


	26. Chapter 26

" **I am quite impressed by your bravery yesterday, Formora,"** Lord Giratina was saying to Formora in her vanity the following morning.

She shifted around uncomfortably. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone about it?

" **I know few Pokemon who would risk their lives like that, and especially for bitter rivals. I have a mission for you and the others—I'll tell you more about it after breakfast—and if you succeed, not only will I bestow great rewards, but I will help you with your Litwick and Pumpkaboo."**

She perked up at the sound of that. Now _that_ was worthy of conversation! Giratina repeated his promise of telling her about the mission later, and signed off.

Team Miasma cornered her on her way to breakfast again, but their mood was much different this time.

"We wanted to thank you again for what you did for us. Especially considering…how we acted towards you before," Cradily began, staring at the floor.

"We're sorry for how we acted. We were threatened by your arrival and rank. But…now we see that you're not who we thought you were. Can you ever forgive us?" Binacle continued, looking deep into her eyes.

"Sure. Whatever. Can I go now?" Formora said, wishing she were eating instead of here.

"Yes. And here," Sonya said, handing Formora a Froslass doll before they left. "Her nehme's Natalia. Eef you treat her badly, I _weell_ keell you."

Formora stared at the—surprisingly well-made—doll before hurrying down to breakfast.

When she arrived, she was immediately assaulted by something large and oily. She struggled wildly, until a familiar voice belted out, "Thank youuuuuuu!"

Formora was forced to endure Oksana's embrace until the Eelektross released her. Formora, able to breathe again, took a deep breath of wonderful air.

"I thought I would never see Sonya again! How can I _ever_ repay you?" Oksana demanded.

"Let me get my food?" Formora said in annoyance.

"Fine, but I owe you! Forever!"

Thankfully, no one else bothered her—though there was certainly plenty of staring, much to her ire—and she was finally able to complete her meal in relative peace.

* * *

Afterwards, she and her teammates converged in Formora's room, in front of her vanity, where their beloved leader was already patiently waiting.

" **Ah, there you three are. Formora already probably told you, but I have an assignment for you today."**

Kia and Firnen shared a pleased look with each other. They too were itching for action.

" **Mesprit's declaration of opposition has spread, and her words have enticed others to do the same. One such other is the legendary Ho-oh. Yesterday I received word that he is openly against us now. Miles has told me that according to his agents, Ho-oh has not left his residence of Rainbow Mountain, west of Firewood City. I want you three to apprehend him before he actually makes a good decision and leaves. He is a fire/flying-type, which will hamper Formora and Kialandi somewhat, but I have faith you three will defeat him. Any questions?"** Giratina reported.

They had none.

" **Excellent. I'll leave you to it, then."** And with that, Formora's mirror turned back to normal.

"I can distract him while you two strike. I can be _incredibly_ annoying," Kia said as the trio went down to Dungeon Alley.

"Sounds good. If we can corner him so Firnen can knock him out with Guillotine, that'd help too," Formora nodded.

She paused, for two of their coworkers were harassing Cate.

"It's your fault we lost!" Troja, the Porygon-Z leader, hissed, getting in the crying Espurr's face.

"Ever since we let you join, we've become a mockery of what we once were!" Marvel, a Furret, agreed.

"I-I'm s-sorryyy…" Cate mumbled, cowering against the wall.

"'I'm sorrys' don't win battles, Cate! If you slip up one more time, we're kicking you out of Team Supernova!" Marvel spat. With that, he and Troja stalked off, while Cate ran past Team R, crying hysterically.

Kia looked back at her, then back at Formora and Firnen.

"Um…someone should…" he mumbled, his cheeks turning red.

"Go ahead. Meet us at the beach. Don't be overly long, and tell Cate it'll be alright for me," Formora allowed, frowning in the direction Troja and Marvel had gone.

"I shall. Thanks," Kia said graciously as he went after Cate, handing her their bag.

Firnen and Formora filled it with apples, Oran Berries, and all kinds of seeds. They added an emergency Escape Orb, and finally their mirror and Bypass Stone. After that, they headed to the beach, and patiently waited for Kia.

After about fifteen minutes, he arrived, and the trio set off, eager to teach their new enemy why declaring opposition was the worst mistake of his life.

* * *

 **Rainbow Mountain ( watch?v=jIjAUYK5xeE)**

Ho-oh didn't even bother trying to disguise the entrance to his dungeon. There was a path at the entrance of the mountain range, and it led straight to his front door. The mountain itself was a lively shade of brown, with multicolored stones decorating the walls, glinting merrily in the noontime sunlight.

"…He's really not that bright," Formora observed after remembering his declaration and seeing his choice of home. Honestly, what had he been _thinking?!_

"If he was smart he wouldn't have gone against us. Or, at the very least, he should have fled as soon as he made enemies of us," Kia agreed.

"Well, we should probably get up there before he has a stroke of genius," Firnen warned, scooping up a rock and tossing it from hand to hand.

Formora agreed.

 **1F**

Color everywhere.

That was her first thought as she took in the new scenery. Gone was the brown stone of the mountain; the new walls were painted in the colors of a rainbow from ceiling to floor. The ground was a translucent white rock that reflected all nearby colors. The stone below Formora was tinged light blue and red, reflecting her accents, and the floor below the boys were tinged similarly. Stones of all hues were scattered across the floor, giving the room a rather festive atmosphere.

Adding to the atmosphere was a Vivillon in the continental pattern. The multicolored bug flew close to Kia, giving him a quick Draining Kiss on the cheek. Taken aback by the sudden lapse in strength, he slumped on the ground before collecting himself.

Formora, bored already, shot out her Ice Beam at the enemy. Firnen jumped high, raking its wings with his Dragon Claw. Kia, having recovered from the Kiss, finished the Vivillon off with Dragon Breath. The foe was engulfed in bright blue flames, and disappeared without a trace.

"That was easy. Now let's go," Formora said idly, choosing the path to the north.

"500 Poké says Ho-oh will make at _least_ one fire pun," Firnen said.

"Deal," Formora and Kia chorused.

 **2F-4F**

The next couple of floors passed by quickly. The enemies were comprised of Sigilyphs, Vivillons of various variants, Beautiflies, all five types of Florges, all four kinds of Oricorio, and all seven shades of Minior. This last foe interested Kia and Firnen greatly, and they explained to Formora that Minior were not often seen in this land.

She didn't care about rarity, however, and struck them down as easily as the others.

Since the foes were primarily flying-types, it wasn't too hard to blow right past them, though the rock-type attacks from the Miniors did give her pause now and again.

But, in the end, all foes fell to Formora.

 **5F**

"Hey, Formora? Can I ask you something?" Firnen piped up in the middle of exploring the floor. She sighed inwardly. She was pretty sure she knew what the question would be, but gave her consent anyway.

"Um…why did you save Team Miasma?" Aaaaaaand there it was. "You had absolutely no reason to, so why risk your life like that?"

He was right, of course, and Formora still didn't even know the reason herself. To race against a deadly storm to rescue enemies…

"Because I'm insane," she answered at last.

Firnen and Kia were confused, naturally, and pestered her for more (ugh, how she hated those two words) information, but she remained silent. They finally shut up when she told them to drop it, and they continued onwards.

 **6F-9F**

Not much of interest happened for a while. A Minior on 7F thought it would be a good idea to use Selfdestruct right in Formora's face. The normal-type attack stung, but did very little damage to her. Plus, her body absorbed most of the shock, so her friends weren't harmed at all either.

Stupid thing. It was true to its type; its head _was_ full of rocks.

Ho-oh deserved the upcoming beating, if only to teach him to have better guards next time.

 **10F**

Right after they arrived, a thought came to Formora.

"Did you manage to console Cate, Kia?" she asked without turning her head. She kept a strict eye out for enemies, and wouldn't let any of them gain even the slightest advantage over her. Not like it would matter in the end, but she was a cautious soul.

"Yes, I did. She told me she's been having real trouble with battling, and that she keeps getting Team Supernova kicked out of dungeons. Apparently it has been going on for a while now, and Troja and Marvel are sick of it. I…offered to help her practice, and…she agreed. We're going to start this evening," Kia narrated, sounding excited.

"Have fun," she heard Firnen chuckle.

She nodded. "Good. Cate's a good person, and I know you'll be more patient with her than her teammates."

"Yes, yes he will," Firnen chuckled.

Formora didn't get what was so funny, but decided to ignore it.

— **Waypoint—**

Team Renegade, upon seeing their new surroundings, gave out a collective gasp of wonder.

The walls had changed from painted stone to prism glass. When sunlight shone through the transparent glass, a brilliant rainbow blanketed all the sunbeam touched. The floor was a regular white stone, tinted rainbow by the light from the outside. And where the light failed to reach, colorful lights hanging from the ceiling ensured that every inch of the room was bathed in color.

The scene was entirely tranquil, and Formora briefly considered spending the rest of her life in this room. But alas, they had a mission to complete.

She tapped the Kangaskhan statue, and they moved on wordlessly, gazing around the chamber in awe.

 **Rainbow Mountain Peak ( watch?v=YeFFdqwrx6c)**

 **1F-5F**

The rest of the mountain too was awash in color. It was quite distracting at first, making battles harder than they needed to be, but after a while the trio became used to it. Everything began to look the same, however. It was difficult to tell at first glance whether a berry lying on the ground was an Oran or Pecha, and Orbs were just plain dangerous to use now. What they had thought was a Luminous Orb turned out to be a Trapper Orb.

Needless to say, they avoided Orbs now.

 **6F**

A few minutes after arriving, the trio encountered a Vivillion with an icy snow pattern in a hallway. Formora prepared to fight it, but instead it threw an Orb at her. She tensed as it shattered, but all it did was petrify Formora and send her straight to the Stairs.

As she stood there, stunned, she realized she had been hit by a Stayaway Orb. She laughed as the paralysis left her body. How nice of the Vivillon, to send her to her destination!

 **7F-10F**

The rest of the dungeon passed without too much complaint. They stopped briefly on 7F to eat, then pressed onwards. Most of their offensive seeds were used against a particularly ornery Florges duo on 8F. The rainbow enemies were _eventually_ defeated, and the rainbow Team Renegade practically flew up the rest of the floors.

 **Rainbow Summit**

There wasn't a cloud in the sky when Team Renegade reached the top of the mountain. The rest of the range spread out far and wide below them, and they could even see the path they had taken to get to the bottom. There was a rainbow in the sky, of course, but there was another one above it, though faded. And above the second was a barely-visible third! A triple rainbow, right in front of them!

Ho-oh seriously needed to curb his love of rainbows.

The summit wasn't as grandly decorated as the inside of the dungeon. There were a few stone pillars of various colors lining the edge, but other than that it was bare and desolate.

Now where was Ho-oh…?

As if on cue, Formora spotted a faint red speck in the sky that quickly grew and grew as it flew closer to them. The speck turned out to be a giant red bird Pokemon with colorful feathers on the ends of his wings.

Ho-oh.

"I thought I sensed intruders," he spat, hovering above the trio. "Who are you?!"

"You seriously can't guess? We're Team Renegade," Formora mocked, snickering at his idiocy. Oh boy, she would have fun taking him down.

"Ah, so _you're_ the monsters I've been hearing about. Hmph, I don't see what's so terrifying about you three. An ice-type and a ground-type have come to stop me? Oh no, whatever will I do?" Ho-oh mocked right back.

That's it, she was going to pluck every single one of his feathers and make him eat them all.

"I've fought Mareeps more intimidating than you," Formora scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Same here!" Ho-oh exclaimed in false surprise.

Every. Single. Feather.

"You made a huge mistake when you decided to fight against the Dark, Ho-oh. Either recant your statement and join us, or regret that choice for the rest of your life," Kia demanded, staring boldly at him.

"Nah. I rather like being Light. I'll just mop the floor with you three and have you all arrested so you can't hurt anyone ever again. Sound good?" Ho-oh dismissed casually.

"Just remember, Ho-oh: you brought this upon yourself," Formora warned as she raced forward.

* * *

 **Boss Battle ( watch?v=qM8uPGGaUmQ)**

She immediately threw an Ice Beam at him, aiming for his stomach. But as he was in the air, he evaded easily, and instead she only grazed his foot.

"Ha! I'm going to enjoy this," he guffawed, flying overhead.

"You and me both," Formora muttered under her breath as she turned to shoot a Shadow Ball instead. This time she nailed his flank, and he flinched for a second before turning to face the trio.

"Let's heat things up, shall we?" Ho-oh intoned, an orange outline surrounding his body.

"You two owe me 500 Poké," Firnen said as Ho-oh sent an orange beam from his body and to the sky. The beam shimmered, then disappeared when it reached the peak of its trajectory. The sun flashed, shining brighter than before.

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

"Remind me after the battle," Formora said, shooting off another Shadow Ball. She missed.

"I'll try and distract him," Kia volunteered, zooming towards Ho-oh's face.

The fiery bird tried to swat him out of the air with a great red wing, but the nimble Kia weaved around his attacks like they were no problem. He zoomed around Ho-oh's face, annoying the legendary.

"Stop that!" Ho-oh stormed, trying to slap Kia yet again. Only this time, when he missed, he accidentally hit himself in the face.

"Haha! Having fun?" Formora taunted as the trio launched a simultaneous combo of Dragon Rage, Shadow Ball, and Dragon Breath at the flinching bird. He sucked in a breath upon taking the hits, but easily shook the pain off.

"Oh, the fun's just getting started," he replied grimly, a rose-orange aura rising from his body. He spat a brilliant spray of gold-orange flames from his beak across the mountain summit.

Formora shielded herself with her arms, bracing for the devastating blow, but oddly it never came. She opened her eyes, and found that Firnen had shielded her with Protect. Huh, she'd forgotten that was a thing.

"You okay?" Firnen called back to her.

She nodded. "Yeah. What was that attack?"

"Sacred Fire, from the looks of it. It's his signature attack. Don't bother trying to freeze him, Sacred Fire'll just thaw him right out," Firnen replied as Kia began buzzing around Ho-oh's face, occasionally pelting him with an attack.

"Ugh, someone needs to exterminate this annoying pest. How do you like fire, pest?" Ho-oh grumbled, shooting a five-pointed symbol of fire right at Kia. The "arm" of the Fire Blast caught him right in the chest, and Kia crashed into the ground, creating quite a rut as he did.

"Ow…" the Vibrava squeaked, testing his limbs carefully.

"You help him; I'll get Ho-oh's attention," Formora muttered to Firnen as she ran over to the other side of the summit, as far away from her friends as possible.

Ho-oh began preparing another Sacred Fire, aiming directly at the injured Kia. Quickly, Formora launched a Shadow Ball directly at his face. She succeeded, striking the side of his beak. Ho-oh flinched, then turned to face her.

"Girl, you messed with the wrong legendary," he snarled, spitting the beam of brilliant fire at her.

Desperately, Formora dove out of the way, feeling the searing heat lick at her body. She cried out as she somersaulted back to her feet. She glanced down, and winced at the sight of her charred lower half.

"Take this!" she heard Ho-oh shout, and she looked up to see him prepare an orange ball with fiery streams coursing through it.

He launched the Weather Ball, but she countered with Shadow Ball. The two spherical attacks collided with one another, and exploded. Smoke coursed through the air, and Formora ran back her teammates, taking advantage of the cover.

By now, Kia was ready to rejoin the fight.

"Let me try and paralyze him!" he urged.

"He'll just hit you again!" Formora objected.

"I'm resistant to his attacks! He caught me by surprise; I won't let it happen again. Let me paralyze him with Dragon Breath. Then all we need is for Firnen to land Guillotine!" Kia countered.

Formora scowled, cursing his stubbornness yet admiring his bravery. "Fine. Just be careful."

"I shall," Kia agreed as he launched himself into the air just as the smoke cleared.

"Ah, there you are," Ho-oh said upon spotting them. He was beginning to pant, having used multiple high-power attacks along with the damage he took. He opened his mouth to prepare an attack, but was struck with Kia's Dragon Breath.

"Again?!" he roared, trying to swat Kia out of the sky once more. But after a moment, he suddenly turned and spat a Weather Ball down at Formora and Firnen instead.

The duo hadn't been expecting it, and both were enveloped by the ultra-hot flames. Formora screamed, feeling her skin blister and peel from the heat. It felt like she'd taken a bath in lava! She'd do anything, _anything,_ to make this unbearable agony end!

Finally, the attack ended, and she fell to the ground, shuddering uncontrollably. That attack, powered by the sun, had taken most of her strength and endurance. She knew she had reached her limit from that attack alone. One more hit, and she was down. Was she that weak? Or was Ho-oh just that strong?

 _Doesn't matter,_ she thought grimly. _I'll defeat him, no matter what._

Firnen was in better condition than she was, being resistant to fire.

"You okay?" he asked, helping her up.

"Yeah…just don't let me get hit again," she said, gritting her teeth.

Ho-oh was resuming his efforts to smack Kia away, and provided an easy target for Formora's Shadow Ball. Firnen jumped high and raked Ho-oh's flank with Dragon Claw at the same time she attacked.

"Argh! Why you…" Ho-oh growled, opening his mouth once more.

Kia took the chance to strike with Dragon Breath. Ho-oh flinched as he was hit, then paused. His limbs began to lock up.

"No!" he cried.

Formora's heart soared. "Quickly, now!"

Team Renegade struck the paralyzed Ho-oh over and over with their attacks, relentless in their pursuit of victory.

"Now, Firnen!" Formora cried when Ho-oh had taken sufficient damage.

"On it! Here I _go!_ " Firnen cried, his tusks glowing white. He bounded for their target, leaping high into the air. On his way down, he dug his tusks deep into the side of Ho-oh's neck, right where a crucial pressure point was.

With a great cry, Ho-oh gave a great shudder and collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. There was a huge tremor that knocked everyone to the ground when he collided, but soon all was still. Once the shaking stopped, Team Renegade cautiously picked themselves off the ground.

* * *

"Finally," Formora said, carefully keeping an eye on the fallen bird as she accepted an Oran Berry from Kia. "Let's get someone sent up here to take him back before he gets his strength back."

They brought out their mirror, and quickly told Giratina of the events that had just transpired.

" **You've defeated Ho-oh? Excellent! I knew you three could do it. I will collect him myself; no one else could transport him as easily as I can. See me in Formora's room after dinner. I will deliver your rewards there, as well as your help against the Litwick and Pumpkaboo,"** he said before signing off.

Ho-oh was beginning to stir as the trio prepared to leave. They weren't worried, though; they had done a lot of damage to him, and their leader would be arriving soon anyway.

"You won't…get away with this…" he muttered, watching them leave.

* * *

Dinner was met with much celebration from their tablemates, and Team R were eager to see what their lord would bestow upon them. They crowded around Formora's vanity, awaiting his arrival.

At last, he appeared. " **Ah, I admire your promptness. Ho-oh has been successfully transferred to Sealed Abyss. Yveltal will keep a close eye on him there. I have been greatly impressed with your work today, especially your perseverance against a foe with many advantages. Formora, in your room you will find a box. Bring it here and open it, if you would."**

She did as he bade. The box contained a large bag, many Reviver Seeds, and a whopping 3,000,000 Pok _é_.

" **That bag can hold up to 64 items. I believe you will find it of great use. Now, about the Litwick and Pumpkaboo…I am told their names are Ezra and Carys, and they call themselves Team Banshee. Miles has done more digging around, and he's learned that they are very interested in the Shards of Arceus I have scattered around the continent. One such Shard is in a place known as the End of the World. Now, if Team Banshee were to find out about this Shard there…"** Giratina trailed off, and Team R grinned wickedly. An ambush would be _perfect._

" **There's a Ledian who stops occasionally in Lucida Town. He delivers mail for the entire continent. I'm positive that if he got a letter for Team Banshee, he would ensure it reached them,"** Giratina went on.

"I'll draft a letter right away," Formora promised, itching to finally defeat the two ghosts.

" **Good. By the way…I have another test for you, Formora. I hired a mercenary to help you defeat Team Banshee. I don't care how you use him. He's in the cafeteria. Oh, and I promised him 3 million** **Poké as payment. They'll come out of your funds."**

"WHAT?!" Formora shrieked, her heart racing. "But I don't want to pay him!"

" **Your task is to convince him not to accept payment. I don't care how, so long as he remains alive and healthy. Good luck,"** Giratina replied before disappearing.

"…How are we going to do this? Threaten him? Blackmail him?" Formora whispered, feeling rather faint.

"Let's meet him first. I'm sure you'll get a feel for what route would be the best," Kia reassured.

She groaned, but agreed.

The mercenary turned out to be a Zoroark. He certainly looked the type; he had a cruel glint in his eyes, razor-sharp claws, and an expression that screamed he was only doing this for the money. But when he saw Formora, his eyes grew wide.

"You must be the mercenary," she observed.

"Yes, yes I am. I'm Evan. Who are you, pretty lady?" he said in what he must have thought was a suave voice.

Formora realized how she would go about this, and groaned inwardly. She hated people who lusted after her. She was above them all; love was only a tool to get what she wanted. She'd given kisses and other favors to plenty of seedy motel owners and shopkeepers in exchange for food and a place to sleep back in Castelia. She'd loathed them all, but she kept up the charade for her own survival. Her safety wasn't in jeopardy now, but she had no desire to hand over her hard-earned money to this lowlife.

So, she smiled at him. "I'm Formora, and these are my teammates, Kia and Firnen. Are you going to help us defeat those ghost-type girls?"

"Of course I am," Evan nodded, smiling into her eyes.

She made herself blush and look away. "I'm glad. We've gone up against them twice, but they keep evading us. It's getting pretty annoying…"

"I've no fear of ghost-types. We'll capture them, don't you worry," Evan reassured.

"I believe you. Tomorrow, let's train together. I want to see what you're made of," Formora said with a flirtatious tone.

Evan's grin stretched from ear to ear. "You won't be disappointed, sweet Formora!"

Oh, it will be _so_ worth it to crush his pathetic dreams in the end. Right after she crushed the dreams of the ghosts.

She swallowed her ire, and bid them all goodnight.

* * *

Over the next two days, Team Renegade and Evan plotted their strategy and trained together in order to get a feel for their group's strengths and weaknesses. Evan continued to flirt with Formora, who flirted right back and even asked him to walk on the beach with her at sunset. The stupid Zoroark ate her act right up, and even some of her coworkers bought the story.

Those two days were a total nightmare, and Formora had to constantly keep her true feelings buried deep beneath the surface, lest she blow her charade and to pay the 3 million Poké. It was easily one of the hardest tests Giratina had given her.

But when it was over…

 _She would have fun._

* * *

 **Evan was submitted by Xorobukkit!**

 **I have a new PMD story idea that I am incredibly excited about, but I'm not sure if I want to complete this one first…Your thoughts?**

 **The next post shall include: the journey to the End of the World.**


	27. Chapter 8 Glace

**Chapter 8. Glace**

* * *

Formora smiled as she handed Chansey the letter directing Team Banshee to Frigid Tundra. Team Renegade didn't want anyone identifying them, and nurse had to go into Lucida Town anyway. She'd give it to Ledian, who would then deliver it to the two ghosts, who would walk right into Team R's trap. And then?

Formora would have the best day of her life. The first thing she'd do was ditch the lovesick moron who wouldn't leave her alone, then "play" with the two new captives.

Oh, how she couldn't wait!

"Have fun in town!" she said brightly, waving goodbye to Chansey as the latter strolled out of the fortress.

She met her teammates and the moron in the cafeteria. They'd just finished packing their bag full of food, seeds, and various Orbs. The trek to the far north would expend a lot of their strength, and they'd need every ounce of it to take down their targets.

She had had fun drafting the letter to her quarry. She had written to Team Banshee about spotting a Shard at the End of the World, and signed it with a single 'R'. For Renegade, of course.

"Alright, we're all set. Shall we?" Kia said after trading his Vibra Scarf for a Weather Band. Evan and Firnen wore similar bands as well. The item would prevent any cold from being felt, even in the farthest depths of the tundra. Formora had no need for one, of course, but it would do no good for her teammates and the idiot to be overcome with hypothermia.

"Yes. Let's go," Formora agreed, gazing at Evan lovingly for a second.

* * *

And so, the four set off for the northernmost part of the entire world. They moved swiftly, with brief rests every few hours. Around noon, judging by the sun, Murkrow joined them.

"Just thought you guys should know that the Litwick and Pumpkaboo are on their way," the field agent informed.

Formora's heartbeat quickened with bloodthirsty anticipation. "Wonderful! Thanks, Murkrow."

"It's what I do. They're about…mm…a few hours behind you," Murkrow shrugged as she flew off.

"The fun will begin soon…" Evan murmured in her ear as he took her hand in his. She gave it an absentminded squeeze, thinking ahead. They'd doubtless need to rest before the big fight, but a lead of only a few hours didn't give them much time…

Although, Team Banshee would need to rest as well. Unless they brought Weather Bands or Stamina Bands, they'd be hard pressed to make it to the ambush spot in one piece.

She'd need to think on it some more…

* * *

 **Snowy Crevice ( watch?v=Vty5Pr6M6k8)**

Snow began falling long before the four made it to the actual dungeon. As the weather grew colder, the storm picked up, and the terrain became rockier. Eventually, late in the evening, they had arrived.

The path was made of solid ice that had undoubtedly never seen a thaw. It was lined with snow-covered rockthat froze anything that touched it. A vicious blizzard was raging above, whipping the four mercilessly with wind and snow. Though Formora reveled in the wonderful, freezing cold, the harsh winds threatened to blow her away. She had to struggle to remain in balance, and _it was fantastic_. The temperature had to be below zero! This was practically a paradise!

She spotted Kia saying something, but his words were lost over the howl of the wind. She thought she knew his meaning, though, and gestured for everyone to follow her inside.

 **B1F**

It was just as blissfully cold in here as it was outside, but at least they no longer had to deal with the blizzard. It was kind of a pity, honestly. The floor was composed of light flurries over hard rock,and the walls were a plain dark brown stone. A few icicles hung from the ceiling, falling every so often. It was impossible to tell what time it was, but it had to have been late afternoon or early evening.

"Huh, not much to this place," Firnen observed.

"I am grateful that I cannot feel this cold. I would think I'd turn into a popsicle by now," Kia sighed.

"You ready, love?" Evan asked softly, brushing his arm against hers.

She giggled. "With you by my side, I have nothing to fear~

 **B2F-B4F**

Formora led the party, but whenever there was a battle she'd hide in the walls if she was able to. Evan took the lead when that happened, for many ice-types dwelled here. Kia and Firnen were forced to stay back for their own safety, though they did contribute their special attacks to the battles.

As they trekked through the dungeon, they fought Snorunts, Sneasels, Bergmites, Snovers, Marills, and Abomasnows. The Snovers and their evolutions announced their presence via their Snow Warning Ability, so at least the group had some advanced warning. Hail fell inexplicably from the ceiling, but the team were immune to the effect. Formora delighted in the chance to use her own Ability again. When that happened, she was much more reckless in battle, striking a foe then using Snow Cloak to evade instead of hiding in the walls.

This day was easily the best in her entire life.

 **B5F**

"How's training with Cate going?" Formora asked during a lull in the fighting.

"Great! She's already improved so much. If Troja and Marvel had just taken the time to help her and be patient with her, then she wouldn't struggle so much. But since I've been giving her advice instead of yelling at her, she's starting to see her true potential," Kia answered happily.

"Good. If she ever needs a second sparring partner, let me know," Formora nodded. She was pleased that Kia was taking the time out of his busy schedule to help the poor Espurr. Next time she saw Cate being harassed by her teammates, they'd get a stern lecture from Formora.

 **B6F-B8F**

 **Weather Condition: Snow**

Snow began falling starting on B6F, giving Formora an even bigger advantage in battle. Shockingly, she was the only Pokemon who could utilize Snow Cloak. No foe knew it, though the Bergmites could steadily heal themselves thanks to their Ice Body feature. Still, though, that advantage plus Evan's razor-quick and razor-sharp attacks meant that very few enemies provided a challenge.

It was rather boring.

 **B9F**

 **Weather Condition: Snow**

Upon arriving, Formora spotted a Clear Gummi lying half-buried in the snow. She picked it up, and dusted off the snowflakes. An idea came to her, and she turned to Evan, smiling coyly.

"You must be hungry after all that battling. Would you like it?" she asked sweetly.

"Are you sure? It's your favorite, isn't it?" Evan fretted.

"It is, but you deserve something nice amidst all this snow and ice. Try it! It tastes like vanilla ice cream," she encouraged.

Evan paused, but took the Gummi.

"Thanks, love," he murmured, pulling her in for a quick embrace. She giggled dutifully.

It pained her to sacrifice the delicious Gummi, but the more she built Evan's ego, the more satisfying it would be when it all came crashing down.

 **B10F-B13F**

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

On B10F the snow changed to hail. No one minded, for hail activated Formora's Snow Cloak as well. The boys were shielded from the damage thanks to their Weather Bands. Overall, the only Pokemon hurt by the hail were the Marills.

 **Snowy Crevice Pit**

The four found themselves sandwiched between two sheer rock walls covered in ice that had to be hundreds of feet tall. The blizzard still raged high above them, but the walls provided decent cover from the onslaught on the storm.

"How are you guys doing?" Formora asked as she led them down the path, which continued to narrow as they traveled.

"Beginning to get tired, but I think I can keep going," Firnen responded, beginning to sound winded.

"A short rest would be much appreciated," Kia agreed.

"Alright. We're shielded from most of the storm, so we can rest when we get to the entrance," she decided. Truth be told, she too was starting to feel fatigued from all the traveling.

Eventually, the rock walls merged into one. A large crack big enough for even Giratina to enter marked the entrance to Frigid Tundra.

The four sat down, ate some food, and napped for about an hour. They felt much better, and were ready to tackle the dungeon.

Bracing themselves, they entered.

* * *

 **Frigid Tundra ( watch?v=fsaFingSYp4)**

 **B1F-B3F**

 **Weather Condition: Snow**

Here in the tundra, the walls were now made of smoke-colored, jagged rock with snow in all the little niches. The ground was comprised of packed snow. Small torches were ensconced at regular intervals, providing dim light in the chilly, unwelcoming dungeon.

Team Renegade plus the moron wasted no time in talking. With grim determination, they set forward, fighting Spheals, Sealeos, Sneasels, and Abomasnows along the way. It was easy going so far, but they knew it would probably not last. Weather Bands or not, traversing this desolate biome was taxing, and all but Formora wished to be back home in their beds.

 **B4F**

"Yah!" Formora shouted, launching a Shadow Ball at the Sealeo they were fighting.

Being so fat, it was unable to evade, but didn't seem too worse for the wear.

Kia swooped in close, Feinting before Attacking. The Sealeo roared in anger, and shot a multicolored beam straight at him. It hit, and he fell to the ground.

"Back off!" Formora stormed, trying to get its attention with Shadow Ball.

It ignored the attack, still focused on Kia. The Vibrava tried to stand, but slipped on the snow. He fell once more, and another Aurora Beam was all it took.

Luckily, though, they had brought plenty of Reviver Seeds. A bright white light shone down upon him with a _vree_ sound. When the light went away, Kia was awake and alert once more.

The Sealeo opened its mouth to shoot him again, but Firnen threw a Stun Seed in its mouth before it had time to prepare the attack. It swallowed the seed, and began convulsing in paralysis. Four simultaneous attacks later, and Kia was avenged.

 **B5F-B7F**

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

Hail began falling on B5F. Again, no foe knew Snow Cloak, though the Spheals and Sealeos knew Ice Body. The latter's thick blubber provided some difficulty for Formora and her team, but quick uses of Stun Seeds ensured that they fell just as easily as their pre-evolutions.

On B6F, the walls turned into ice-covered rock. The ground changed to solid ice, causing Firnen and Evan to slip on a constant basis. Kia merely flew instead. Watching the moron fall flat on his butt was greatly entertaining to Formora, but she disguised it by fretting over him and pretending to be concerned about his health. The Zoroark assured her that yes, he was fine, he was too strong to let a little ice ruin his day.

Oh, but the time would come soon when _her_ ice would…

The rest of the dungeon slowed them down, as Evan and Firnen had to walk and battle carefully, lest they trip for the zillionth time. Indeed, once on B7F when the group was fighting a Sealeo, Firnen dove in for a Dragon Claw, but slipped and ended up scratching the ground instead. He slid face-first over to the Sealeo, who merrily added injury to insult with Aurora Beam.

It had to be taken down quickly before it KO'd Firnen.

— **Waypoint—**

The design of the waypoint was the least thing they were expecting. The walls were made of bricks, and giant fireplaces guarded the Kangaskhan statue. The floor around the entrances were snowy, but quickly gave way to soft earth. There was a small spring near the statue. Most inexplicably, though, was the cuckoo clock above the entrance to the second half.

It was warm and toasty in here, a stark contrast to the rest of the biome. Formora hated it instantly. Where was the wonderful cold? She didn't want to be here, where the warmth of the fires made her uncomfortable. She wanted the harshness of eternal winter, where all living things fought for their lives every day! Where was that?!

But her teammates were thankful for the cozy resting spot, so she swallowed her disappointment and let them rest a bit more. When she could no longer stand to be in the room, she made them move on.

Back into the cold.

Yay.

* * *

 **I always hated Sand Stream and Snow Warning…Stupid Snover and Hippopotas.**

 **The next post will include: snow everywhere, foes everywhere, and the End of the World.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Frigid Glacier ( watch?v=trgdc1D2sOk)**

 **B1F**

The terrain was exactly like it had been on B6F of the first half of the dungeon. The floor was on an incline, indicating that the group was about to begin the climb to the top of the glacier. It wouldn't be fun for the boys, but Formora couldn't wait to see what lay at the summit. She couldn't think of how this place could be improved, but she hoped she would be proven wrong.

"Okay! Let's go!" she chirped merrily. The bitter cold had returned in full force, filling her with pure _bliss_.

"Uh, Formora? I'm stuck," Firnen said wryly. She turned, and found that even in the short span of time they had been standing here, his feet had become frozen to the floor.

"Ergh, starting to hurt," he went on, wincing as he tried to pry his feet free.

"Let me try," Kia offered, gently blowing Dragon Breath around Firnen. The heat from the flames caused the ice to melt, sending steam around the room.

She was sad to see it melt, but it did sever the contact between Firnen and the ice. She looked at Evan, and saw that he too was being held captive.

Another Dragon Breath later, and they were off.

 **B2F-B6F**

Hail began falling, and persisted until the end of the dungeon. Every so often, they'd have to stop because either Evan or Firnen's feet would get frozen to the ice again. But it was a quick fix, so it wasn't too much trouble.

There were only two new Pokemon to fight in this half: Swinub and Beartic. To Formora's delight, the Beartics knew Snow Cloak as well, and actually gave her a challenge!She was thrilled as she and the Freezing Pokemon traded blows, each competing to prove who was the better ice-type.

In the end, it proved to be Formora every time. She had numbers and strength on her side, whereas the Beartics had no advantages other than Snow Cloak.

The trek was slow-going, but not entirely dissatisfying.

 **The End of the World**

Formora was wrong. This land _did_ get better. Unfathomably, in fact.

They'd reached the top of the glacier. The summit was smooth, with ice caps poking out from the snowy, icy ground. She was now higher than even the clouds, and no blizzard assaulted them. The moon shone brightly upon the four, bathing them in silvery light. Judging by its position, it was well past midnight. She could hear the hum of the blizzard below, and she peered out from the side of the glacier. She couldn't see anything other than dark clouds and the tips of other, smaller glaciers nearby.

"Let's rest up. I don't think those girls will be here tonight," she suggested, enjoying the beautiful scenery.

It was so peaceful here. Tranquil. She could stay here forever…

The others agreed heartily to her suggestion, and they decided to forgo a fire. They didn't exactly have anything to keep it alight. So, the four huddled together for warmth, and fell right asleep.

* * *

Formora woke to Evan's incessant snoring. She sat up, removing his arm draped around her stomach as she did, and looked at the sky.

Morning. She woke her teammates and the idiot, and explored the rest of the summit.

The blizzard had ended while they were asleep, and the rest of the tundra was visible in the morning light. There were glaciers and ice everywhere, of course, but down in the lowest valleys she could see the greenery of arctic plants. If she wanted to, she could probably make her way there…No, she had a job to do. This would have to wait until next time.

At the northern part of the glacier was the Shard Giratina had been talking about. It swirled with color, never staying the same shade twice. She touched it, curious, and was assailed with visions of blizzards and glaciers.

She wrenched her hand back, startled. This Shard must have given Arceus the power of ice. Figures it'd be in a beautiful, exquisite place like this.

She looked down at the edge of the glacier. It was a sheer drop into the ocean miles below; the wall was perfectly smooth and vertical. If she fell, no one would ever find her. They wouldn't even hear her hit the water, for even _she_ couldn't hear the waves below. All was quiet.

It wasn't possible to go any further.

It truly was the End of the World.

She laughed gaily. Here, _here_ was her paradise! All alone, having to constantly prove herself worthy of living in a place like this. If she didn't have other obligations, she would spend the rest of her life right here. And then, she would be happy at last.

She spent hours admiring the scenery as they waited for their targets to arrive. The boys didn't appreciate the tundra as she did, and soon got bored.

* * *

They were in the middle of a snowball fight when an argument broke out over if Firnen had hit Evan or not.

"It grazed you! Admit it!"

"Nuh-uh, it missed!"

Formora heard a sound come from the dungeon entrance.

"Shh, I hear something," Formora interrupted, gesturing for everyone to be quiet. They hid behind one of the ice caps, peering out at the entrance to the dungeon.

Much to her pleasure, the Shiny Litwick and Pumpkaboo came strolling out. They paused to bask in the wonder of the place, awe plastered across their faces.

"Wh-what's th-that?" the Pumpkaboo shivered, gesturing to the Shard up ahead.

"May-maybe it's the Sh-shard," the Litwick suggested. The duo ran over to it, and as they passed Team R and the idiot Formora had to bite her hand to keep herself from laughing.

Those two had completely forgone Weather Bands! The Pumpkaboo at least had the sense to wear a Stamina Band, but it was clear both had had a miserable journey. Honestly, they deserved to be captured.

The Litwick touched the Shard for a second, then went to peer out over the edge and to the ocean below. The Pumpkaboo joined her.

"I can s-see why the l-l-locals call it 'the E-end of th-th-the W-w-world," the Pumpkaboo marveled.

"We found the Sh-shard. W-we finally f-found it. N-now we c-c-can go h-h-home," the Litwick sighed in relief as she put the Shard in their bag.

Now was the perfect chance!

"Are you so sure about that?" Formora snickered as she came out from their hiding place. The others joined her, forming a line in front of the exit.

"Team R-r-renegade? What a-are you d-doing here? And wh-who's the Zoroark?" the Litwick asked in confusion. Was she that stupid?

"We've been waiting for you, of course!" Kia laughed, fanning his wings.

"Allow me to explain. You received a letter telling you to come here, didn't you?" Formora smiled a Croconaw smile.

"Yeah. How'd y-y-you know?" the Pumpkaboo replied.

Oh for the love of…Did she _really_ have to spell it out?!

"We were the ones who sent it!" Firnen laughed harshly.

It finally dawned on the Litwick. "The sender went by 'R'…R for Renegade! Argh, I'm an idiot!" she gasped, slapping herself on the forehead.

"Yes, you are. Anyway, we're here to exact revenge for what happened with Mesprit. You made us and _He Who Is_ very angry, you see. So, we're here to bring you two to _Him_. Once _He's_ done with you two, I get to have a turn! As for the Zoroark…he's just extra muscle. We're not taking any chances this time. Little ones, meet Evan. He's a mercenary, and he's very strong and muscular. He's also a dark-type, which both of you are weak to," Formora explained, throwing a fond glance at Evan.

"You flatter me, my sweet Formora. But you're the stronger one, Formora, She of the Coldest Heart," Evan returned, a mushy look on his face as he stared at her.

She put a hand to her mouth and giggled, gazing at him with a sidelong smile. Curse it, she actually kinda _liked_ that title…

She held it for a moment, then disengaged. "Hehe, anyways, back to the point. Just come with us! You're tired, exhausted, and freezing. You're in no shape to fight. If you come peacefully, I promise to be gentle…for five minutes."

The two girls held a whispered conversation with each other. From their faces, they were worried. They knew Formora was right.

"So, what will it be? Delayed pain or immediate pain?" Firnen asked, his claws twitching in anticipation.

"We'll n-n-never surrender t-t-to the likes o-of you! Br-bring it!" the Litwick yelled. It would have been intimidating if her teeth hadn't been chattering so much. Formora supposed she thought she was being brave. It would be so fun crushing their dreams.

"Haha, yes, start a fight! You won't win. Darling Evan, would you be so kind…?" Formora laughed before gazing expectantly at the moron.

"Yes, My Lady!" he grinned, bounding for Team Banshee.

* * *

 **Boss Battle! ( watch?v=kp0dRkCIBqY)**

"Let's d-do our best, E-ezra. C-confuse Ray!" the Pumpkaboo shouted after evading Evan's Night Slash.

She sent out two twirling lights that made him pause. His eyes went glassy, and he began stumbling around.

Formora cursed. Not 30 seconds into the fight and he was already in trouble. Reason #413 why he was a moron. She decided to content herself with mocking the girls.

"Look at you two; you're so cold you can't even talk properly!"

"You four s-seem awfully f-f-fine in th-this weather," the Litwick observed, sending out a Night Shade at the trio. They easily dodged.

Did she know _nothing_ about ice-types?!

"My Lady Formora is naturally suited to this environment, bless her, while the rest of us are wearing Weather Bands. Unlike you, _we_ came prepared," Kia explained, hurling a Dragon Breath at the Pumpkaboo.

The Pumpkaboo dodged using Astonish, slamming into Kia as he ended the attack.

"Hold her," Formora said idly as both Pokemon recovered from the blow.

Firnen was quick to snatch her up, and Kia joined as well. They held her in between them as Formora drew closer. The girl struggled, but the boys held her still. Formora nonchalantly struck her with Ice Beam. The boys let go, and she went soaring through the air, towards the Litwick, who had been standing there being useless.

"Carys!" she cried, jumping up to catch her friend.

"Hmm, I think maybe after My Lord is done with you two, I will allow Firnen to finish what he started at our last encounter and take the gift of sight from you permanently," Formora mused, giving the Pumpkaboo a twisted smile.

The girls gasped in horror. Encouraged by their reactions, Formora continued.

"And then perhaps I will do the same to the Litwick myself. You only have one eye, after all. What would happen if it was put out, I wonder?"

The two girls spoke, but they were too quiet for Formora to hear. Behind them, Evan snapped out of his confusion. About freaking time.

"Finally. Now let's begin!" Firnen snorted as the four rushed the duo.

Evan brutally slashed the Litwick with Night Daze, sending her flying until she crashed into an ice cap. She slid down, dazed.

A combined effort of Dragon Rage, Earth Power, and Shadow Ball soon sent the Pumpkaboo flying as well.

Formora stood over them coldly. They huddled together underneath her gaze, completely surrounded on all sides.

"You asked me once why I joined the Dark. Well, _this_ is why! This is why I fight!" she bellowed, striking them both with a flurry of Powder Snow. The two cried out, and it was music to Formora's ears.

"Does it hurt? Say goodbye to this world," she mocked, sending them sprawling with Shadow Ball. The Pumpkaboo's eyes rolled back into her head, and a second later the telltale shine of a Reviver Seed shone down upon her.

The duo had a quick, whispered conversation once the Pumpkaboo woke up. Formora allowed them to have it. No matter how many Reviver Seeds they had, she would defeat them.

"Flame Burst!" the Litwick shouted out of nowhere, catching all four by surprise. The volley of fire scorched the group's skin. Formora hissed. Not out of pain (though the attack certainly hurt), but out of anger.

"Now you've done it!" Firnen roared, equally enraged. He raked the Pumpkaboo's face with Dragon Claw as Kia and Evan tag-teammed the Litwick with Punishment and Dragon Breath.

Both ghosts were looking quite haggard. It seemed one good hit would finish them off.

"My sweet, would you care to do the honors with me?" Formora asked.

"No! Don't carry us under! Please, let us go back home! We have friends waiting for us, back at Lily Town!" the Pumpkaboo begged.

Formora perked up at that. Lily Town, huh? Why did that sound familiar…?

"Of course, My Queen," Evan purred as he and Formora finished the duo off with Night Daze and Shadow Ball.

The ghosts screamed, and went unconscious. No Reviver Seed activated.

Formora grinned from ear to ear. Finally. _FINALLY!_

* * *

The two stirred, then slowly got back to their feet. They were clearly spent; bruises covered them from head to toe, and they were shivering uncontrollably.

"That was just a mere taste of what I am going to personally do to you two," Formora told them matter-of-factly as her team plus the moron surrounded them again.

The girls began whispering once more as Team R and Evan drew closer and closer.

"Three!" the Litwick screamed, grabbing the Explorer's badge off her chest and turning it towards herself. The Pumpkaboo did the same, and they were instantly beamed out of the dungeon.

"HEY!" Formora screamed at the top of her lungs in cheated rage. Wasting no time, she put on a dashing smile and turned to Evan. "My dear, could you…?"

"On it, My Queen of Darkness!" Evan agreed without hesitation as he bounded out of the dungeon.

With him gone—at last!—her face turned sour in distaste.

"You're quite the actress, My Lady," Kia commented.

"It's easier to keep him in line that way. But honestly, he should have known better than to fall in love with _me_ ," she snorted.

"Shouldn't we go after them?" Firnen asked.

"Why rush? They're in no shape to fight. Evan will catch them shortly," she shrugged.

* * *

Team Renegade made their way back to the entrance of Snowy Crevice, where Evan was waiting. The unconscious body of a small, purple Pokemon lay at his feet.

"I tried to stop them, but this little brat showed up and interfered," Evan snarled, kicking the Pokemon's body.

He grinned evilly. "He sure led me on a merry chase for quite a while. But in the end, I got him, My Lady."

"What about the other two?" Kia asked.

"Escaped. But I heard something about a Victini? What's that?" Evan responded.

Formora cursed. "Victini is a legendary Pokemon. They must be seeking her out for help. Dearest Evan, could you track them for me? Only a big, strong Pokemon like you could ever hope to catch them," she said coyly, putting a hand near her mouth. She seethed at having to pretend to love this completely useless Pokemon. She'd crush his pathetic heart, and soon.

Had she overdone her mushy act?

Nope.

"My Lady, I am the best tracker in the world! I will catch them just for you! But first, what are you going to do with him? Should I…?" Evan trailed, putting a claw on the unconscious Pokemon's throat.

"No, leave him. I will question him once he wakes up," Formora shook her head. She'd never seen anything like this creature before. It would be fantastic to see how involved he was with the ghosts.

"As you wish, My Lady. I will depart now, dearest Formora. I will see you soon," Evan said as he raced after the fugitives.

"What are you going to do now, Formora?" Firnen asked once they were alone.

"I'm going to wait until this Pokemon here wakes up, and then I will question him more about Team Banshee and this 'Lily Town' place. You two head back to base; I'll return shortly," she responded.

"Very well. Goodbye," Kia said as he used a Warp Orb to teleport himself and Firnen away from this freezing, wonderful place.

Formora stood over the Pokemon, curious as to what he was. A sound from nearby, however, made her look up.

"Who's there?!" she demanded, getting a Shadow Ball ready as she scoured the nearby bushes.

There was a moment of silence, then a Glaceon wearing a Pecha Scarf came into view. She gazed at Formora unhappily.

"You have to pretend to be someone else too, huh?" the Glaceon laughed sardonically.

Formora did not move, nor did she dispel her attack. "Maybe. What's it to you? How long were you there?"

"I saw and heard everything. I saw the Zoroark defeat Hoopa, and I saw you trick him into going after Team Banshee," the Glaceon responded.

Formora gazed at her appraisingly. This girl knew Team Banshee? Interesting…

"Will you stop me?" Formora demanded.

"No. I can tell you're like me: forever wandering until we find happiness…" the Glaceon shrugged, looking away.

This…was new. Formora dispelled her Shadow Ball, thinking quickly. This Glaceon did seem like her. She hadn't realized it until she'd reached the End of the World, but…she _wasn't_ happy. Not entirely, at least. True, she relished her job, but she never really felt like she fit in with the others. It was too noisy, too crowded in the fortress. Seeing the tundra had made her realize what she truly wanted.

And what she wanted was to go back to it.

She needed to think about these revelations more, when she had the time. She turned back to the Glaceon. It was strange, but she felt like she could trust this woman.

"I…believe you're right," she said slowly. "Let's talk some more. Not now. Tomorrow, maybe?"

The Glaceon nodded as she turned to leave. "I can do tomorrow at eight. Nighttime. Meet me at the end of Sunset Beach."

Formora had no idea where that was, but finding out would be no problem. "I'll be there. I'm Formora, by the way. Who are you?"

"I'm Glace," the woman said before disappearing into the undergrowth.

* * *

 **Glace belongs to SilverScepter!**

 **I've gotta say, writing Formora's perspective on Team Banshee is fun XD**

 **The next post shall include: Shiny hunting, the beach, and a new friend.**


	29. Chapter 29

The rest of the day was spent journeying back to the compound. Formora hitched a ride from a kind Flygon when she was about halfway across the continent. Her ride dropped her off near Amethyst Cave, and it was nighttime when she finally stepped through the doors to the base.

She went straight to her room, tired from the events of the past couple of days. She declined Teysa's offers of having food sent up, and laid down in her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Her room was a lot smaller than she remembered. The windows had never really let in much sunlight, either. Even though this was _her_ room, she wasn't completely alone; Teysa and Orzhova lived in an antechamber next to the kitchen.

She resolved to go back to Frigid Tundra as soon as possible, by herself this time. She needed to, for her own sanity.

* * *

Evan hadn't returned by the time she went down to breakfast, and no one had any news of him or the ghosts either.

Lord Giratina had no tasks for Team R, and Formora was thankful for the opportunity to plan this evening. She needed to find where Sunset Beach was. And she knew just how to do so…

"I think I'll do some Shiny hunting while we wait for Evan to return…" she mused at the breakfast table.

"Want us to tag along?" Firnen offered. Fomora shook her head, casually waving her hand.

"Nah, you two deserve a day off. Although, could I have the bag, Kia? Would make dungeon-travelling a whole lot easier."

"Of course," Kia said graciously, handing it to her.

"Thanks," she said, smiling at him.

Formora had no desire to tell her friends of her encounter with the Glaceon. She didn't quite know why, but she wanted to keep it a secret, at least until she spoke to Glace.

Thus, she did not stop to take out the map until she was off the island, lest any of her peers discovered her. She wanted to be very much alone, so no one could guess that she had a secret rendezvous. Come to think of it, she'd be less likely to be disturbed if she went into a dungeon. It would give her the chance to test the Bypass Stone as well.

In the end, she decided she would go to Joyful Forest, where she had first encountered the targets Evan was now pursuing. It seemed right, in some strange way.

* * *

 **Joyful Forest**

The dungeon looked the same as it had before. The path she was on led straight into shadows, with no other indications that this marked a dungeon entrance. Formora took out the Bypass Stone, wondering how it worked. She tried holding it up in the air, but nothing happened.

Hm…maybe she had to put her will into it.

"Take me to the end," she commanded, holding the stone high as she poured her desire into her words.

A bright green light flashed from the stone, and Formora felt a tugging sensation in her gut, like she had stepped on a Warp Trap.

 **Joyful Forest Depths**

She blinked, and looked around. She was in a spacious clearing, and behind her lay the dungeon. She smiled, and knelt, replacing the Stone with the map Team R always carried. She spread it against the ground, searching for the place she sought.

Aha! There it was. Along the southwestern coast was a small dot labeled "Sunset Beach". It would take her awhile to get there from the base, but it was manageable. Her task complete, she put the map away, and returned to the compound. She did not wish for any exploration teams to find her.

* * *

"Any luck, Formora?" Kia inquired when she arrived. He was sitting on the beach, beginning to paint something purple.

She sighed. "No…I don't suppose Evan returned with the ghosts?"

He shook his head ruefully. "Alas, no. But I'm sure he will catch them soon."

"I hope so. What are you painting?" she said, nodding to his canvas.

A brilliant red appeared on his cheeks, and he turned away. "This? It's, um, nothing. Just…practicing,"

She could tell he was lying, but she decided not to pursue the matter. Whatever he painted was his own business.

"I see," she said, pretending she didn't know of his deception. "Well, I'm going to drop this off. You mind if I keep it for now? That way you won't have to trudge up and down the mountain just to unlock your room for me."

Kia seemed grateful for the change in subject. "Go right on ahead!"

"Thanks," Formora said as she walked towards the mountain.

She spent the rest of the day preparing for her trip to the west. She filled the bag with lots of food and seeds (she didn't know how long or difficult Sunset Beach would be, and she was taking no chances). When evening began to fall, she set back out, telling Kia and Firnen she would try again with her hunt. She told them she probably wouldn't be back for hours, and not to worry about her.

They believed her, and her journey to the southwest coast was otherwise uneventful.

* * *

 **Sunset Beach ( watch?v=OYb5A1Yvhro)**

As the sound of the ocean began to become audible, the terrain grew rocky and unstable. Formora had no reason to fear any of this, and was unaffected by the crumbling paths that led to the beach. Eventually, as the last few rays of sunlight gave way to the darkness of night, she reached the entrance.

A giant cave entrance greeted her, surrounded on both sides by torches. She ignored the scenery, and stepped inside.

 **1F-4F**

Inside the cave lay the dungeon. The walls were composed of a rough coral in a color Formora couldn't decide if it was pink or orange. The ground was composed of a fine white sand, and bits of seashell were scattered across the could faintly hear the ocean, its distant whispers caressing her like a gentle lullaby.

She grimaced. It appeared she would be fighting primarily water-types yet again. How she was sick of battling them…

 _Oh well, at least I have the Bypass Stone,_ she mused as she began the journey.

She was correct in that the dungeon was filled with ocean Pokemon. She fought Krabbys, Kinglers, Tentacools, Tentacruels, Pelippers, pink Gastrodons, and Carracostas. At least, when she allowed them to challenge her. Most of the time she just wall-travelled unless she couldn't avoid a fight.

It wasn't because she was too scared (ohhhh no, she'd _never_ let herself be that!), but because she wanted to get to the end as quickly as possible, so she could talk with Glace. She didn't know what to expect, but she was sure it would be worthwhile, whatever happened.

 **5F**

The Stairs turned out to be in the first room she came to, and they lay against a corner. Only problem was, a pink Gastrodon was sleeping right in front of them. Normal Pokemon would have been forced to fight the squishy, slimy thing to pass, but Formora was no ordinary Pokemon.

She merely walked past it via the walls, laughing as she ascended.

 **6F-10F**

The next few floors passed by without complaint. Wall-travelling drained her energy rapidly, but she had come prepared with many apples and a few Clear Gummis.

 **11F**

On this floor, she encountered a Kecleon shop sitting in the northeast corner of the dungeon.

"Welcome! Feel free to browse around," he greeted her, waving her over to the red and gold carpet.

Curious, she looked at the items the shopkeeper had to offer. There were apples, Gummis, Orbs, and other such objects. She looked for any Luminous Orbs, but was disappointed to find there were none.

She moved on, not even bothering to acknowledge the Kecleon's farewells.

 **12F-15F**

Not much else of interest happened on the next few floors. She avoided enemies when she could, kept up her strength with food, and hurried to the end.

 **16F**

She found a Royal Gummi as she entered a small, cozy chamber. Her stomach growled at the sight of it, so she walked over and popped it into her mouth.

Dragonfruit.

Figured.

 **17F-20F**

The last few floors weren't exciting either. She found the Stairs within relatively short timeframes, and didn't really care much for exploring the rest of the floors or collecting all the items. All she really cared about was reaching the end.

 **Sunset Beach Cliff**

And at last, she did! She found herself on a cliff surrounded by boulders that overlooked the ocean. She peered out over the edge, and saw the waves crashing mightily against the rock wall. She shuddered, and stepped away. If she fell, those waves would have no problem hurling her against the cliff over and over, until she either drowned or was bludgeoned to death…

She heard a noise, and turned to see Glace arriving from the entrance. The Glaceon spotted her, and came to sit beside Formora.

"You came. I wasn't sure if you would," Glace said, an eyebrow raised.

Formora shrugged. "But I did."

"But you did," Glace echoed in agreement. "So…who are you, fellow outcast?"

"Formora, the Dark's Chosen," Formora answered, watching Glace with interest. The Glaceon's face grew surprised, then returned to normal.

"Huh. That's…unexpected. Why would the Enemy Champion be malcontent with her life?" Glace asked.

"Because the Enemy Champion didn't ask to be born," Formora grumbled.

She found herself telling Glace about her horrendous childhood, of the abuse she endured for years. How she was brought here, to this world, only to learn that someone would one day try and stop her. She spoke of her realization of her misery at the Dark base, and how she just wished to be alone. Alone, and _happy_.

"I understand how it's like, searching for a place to call 'home'. I still haven't found it," Glace sighed when Formora finished her tale.

Glace took a turn at telling Formora her own story. For as long as Glace could remember, people saw her for her beauty first, and her personality second. She'd always hated the unwanted attention and advances, and it seemed like no matter what she did, she was always seen as a delicate, fragile rose.

A few years ago, she and an idiotic Herdier named Caine went to save their town (Lorii, the same place where Kia was from) from a terrible disaster. They had succeeded, but the people of Lorii refused to acknowledge their victory. The townspeople had misunderstood their intentions, and driven the duo out of Lorii. Cast out from their home, the two had become an exploration team instead. But even now, Glace was finding it hard to make a name for herself.

"My stupid teammate keeps asking me out, and so does everyone we rescue! I'm _sick_ of everyone seeing me for my face instead of who I am! I'm sick of having to pretend to be someone I'm not! I'm sick of everything! _I hate everything!_ " the Glaceon howled.

After a few ragged breaths, she flopped down to the ground, her head buried under her arms. "Ugh, maybe I'll just spend the rest of my life wearing a bag over my head…"

Formora could only sympathize. Was she herself not pretending to love Evan, to love living at the compound right now?

"We both have suffered, and we just want to be free at last," she said.

"More than anything," Glace agreed miserably, resting her chin on her arms and staring out at the ocean.

She sighed after a moment. "I'd better get back. Caine has a bad habit of trying to follow me if I disappear for too long. Thanks for the talk. It's…nice, to have someone who understands how I feel."

"It is. Can we meet again?" Formora agreed, helping Glace to her feet. She was loath to have the conversation end early, but she didn't relish the thought of someone out looking for them.

"Yes, I'd love to. How about the day after tomorrow, here, at midnight? I'll sneak out, so we'll have more time to talk," Glace offered.

"That works for me. It was nice to meet you, Glace," Formora nodded.

"Same to you, Formora. Goodnight," Glace smiled as she left the dungeon.

Formora waited a few minutes, then returned home as well.

* * *

 **Caine also belongs to SilverScepter!**

 **Fun fact: I created the Bypass Stone solely in anticipation of this dungeon. Yay cheating!**

 **The next installment shall contain: no new news, and a red herring.**


	30. Chapter 30

The next day held nothing new in terms of word on Evan. She did, however, alert Giratina that the ghosts might be headed for Victini's home.

" **Victini? She lives in Destiny Ridge. It's east of the mountain range that divides the bottom half of the mainland. She's rather open about her location, as she frequently takes on challengers. She loves to battle, you see. Shall I set watchers on her dungeon?"** he offered.

Formora shrugged. "She's supposed to be neutral, right? I'll keep an eye on her. I'd like to see how she responds to Team Banshee, if they manage to elude Evan. If she helps them, I'll capture her. If she turns them away, we can ambush them."

The rest of the day was spent Shiny hunting with her teammates. They headed first to Destiny Ridge, to take a look at Victini's home.

She lived deep within the highlands, where trees blanketed the mountains. Destiny Ridge lay surrounded by evergreens, and was carved into a mountain. There were three Pokemon guarding the entrance: a Gallade and two Kirlias. They couldn't see Team R, who were hidden behind foliage.

"Challengers have to beat them before they can enter the dungeon. Victini fights only the best," Kia explained, ending in a mocking tone.

Having seen the Ridge herself, Formora decided it was time to hunt. They decided to scour the land near Frostbite Taiga, which was nearby. They ended up capturing a Shiny Marshtomp who kept screaming that 'They wouldn't get away with this!' 'Why would they do this?! They were monsters!' and Formora's favorite, 'They were going to pay for what they've done!'

Ah yes, her 'payment' would be finally being able to live out her days in Frigid Tundra. Truly a fate worse than death.

* * *

The day after, however, yielded exciting news. Not about Evan (Formora was getting rather annoyed that he was taking this long. No, wait, she was _livid_ ), but about Xerneas.

She, her team, Shinx, and Team Jacks were in the Intel conference room, awaiting what Shinx had to say. But Jace was late, yet again.

"Just get started; I'll fill him in later," Ashi sighed impatiently.

Shinx grumbled, but obliged. "One of my informants has alerted me that Xerneas was recently spotted near Sludgy Cesspool. His reasons are unknown, but it might be related to Zygarde, his sister. He'd have no reason to be near a place he's weak to, but _she_ might be interested in an ecological nightmare like that. You know, 'maintaining balance' and all that jazz."

"Us and Team Renegade will enter the dungeon, and fight him if we encounter him. Since Jace is late, he gets to stay outside and guard the entrance," Chandra delegated.

As if on cue, the door flew open, and the Alakazam burst into the room. "I'm here! What'd I miss?"

"You're on guard duty," Kiora informed.

"Oh, okay. Where?"

* * *

 **Sludgy Cesspool ( watch?v=NANkZcb2klQ)**

"Ugh, this place is _disgusting!_ Can we draw straws instead…?" Jace grimaced, pinching his nose shut.

"Hey, this is what you get for being late," Sorin replied, completely unsympathetic.

Jace groaned, but reluctantly took up a position outside the entrance.

The dungeon appeared to be situated on top of a toxic wasteland. Heaps of overturned barrels filled with...neon green oil? lined the rocky path leading up to the entrance. A horrid stench was everywhere, and seemed to permeate Formora's pores. Not even breathing through her mouth helped make the smell less abrasive to her olfactory system.

No life of any kind grew, and the landscape was covered in green slime.

"Hate this place. Hate it _so much_ ," Chandra hissed, pinching her nose shut with a grimace.

"Let's just go. C'mon," Formora sighed, walking into the dungeon.

 **B1F**

She didn't think it was possible, but the stench was even worse inside. It was like the refuse and corpses of the entire city of Castelia had been left to rot in the boiling hot sun for a month. She began gagging, and ultimately was forced to purge her stomach of its contents. Kia did the same, though Firnen managed to hang on, though not by not.

It was impossible to tell what the floor was made of, as it was covered in a solid six inches of purple, bubbling sludge that stuck to all it touched. The blue-green walls were streaked in green slime, and pools of green water lined the edges of the room.

"No fair," Firnen frowned at Formora and Kia, who didn't have to worry about the goop on the floor. Formora floated harmlessly over it, while Kia decided to fly. Firnen, however, was forced to trudge through the dreadful substance.

"Complaining won't help, so let's just get out of this damn place before I lose my mind," Formora scowled. The stench was not helping her temper…

 **B2F-B4F**

The trio moved forward as quickly as they could, gagging and retching all the way. There were only six Pokemon who could stand to live in this cesspit, and they all joyed in making Team R's lives even more miserable. Grimers, Muks, Trubbishes, Garbodors, Koffings, and Weezings tried their best to overwhelm them with noxious poison, but neither Formora nor her teammates allowed themselves to succumb to any of the attacks sent their way.

All they wanted was to find Xerneas, get the hell out, and most of all, wash the stench off them.

 **B5F**

"Just _faint_ already!" Firnen exclaimed in irritation as the Muk they were fighting evaded yet another one of his Dragon Rages.

The fight was going rather poorly, and their foe was unusually evasive.

It trudged over to him and chomped down hard on his arm with Poisonous Fangs.

"ARGHHH!" Firnen howled in pain. "Just. _STOP!"_

A bright blue ball of energy appeared in front of his mouth, and zoomed for the Muk's face. As it was a point-blank attack, the Muk had no chance of dodging this time. It screamed, releasing its hold on Firnen and backing away. While it was distracted, Kia and Formora finished the job with Ice Beam and Earth Power.

"Wh-what just happened?! How'd I do that?" Firnen stammered in surprise.

"It appears you've learned Dragon Pulse, by the look of it!" Kia enthused, clapping his hands.

"Dragon Pulse…huh," Firnen summoned the ball again, and experimentally shot it at the wall. The wall cracked slightly, but held still. Soon, dungeon norms activated, and within a few seconds the crack had disappeared completely.

"Huh…I kinda like it!" he approved, laughing, which quickly turned into retching.

He ran through his moveset, and found that he lost the ability to use Dragon Rage. Neither he nor the others were overly upset at the loss, and moved on.

 **B6F-B10F**

Firnen practiced his new move on almost every foe they encountered for the next few floors. He preferred melee attacks rather than ranged, and wasn't the best when it came to aim. But he persisted, and soon got the hang of the attack.

Meanwhile, Team Renegde continued to suffer through the dungeon, only pausing here and there to eat a little bit of food, even though they'd inevitably purge it again.

 **B11F**

Formora had been thinking about it for a while, and she decided to go ahead and tell her teammates about Glace. Her gut was saying the Glaceon could be trusted, and she felt comfortable enough in telling them about her encounter with the woman.

"After you two left Snowy Crevice the other day, I met someone…"

 **B12F-B17F**

The rest of the dungeon passed much too slowly for Team R's liking. Whenever they weren't choking on the air, Kia and Firnen asked Formora more about Glace, and Team Banshee, and Lily Town. She answered as best as she could, and persuaded them to see Glace as a potential ally rather than an asset, or someone who needed to "chat" with Oksana.

They accepted Formora's desire to visit Glace alone, but asked that she tell them of all that happened in return. She agreed, and that was the end of that.

 **Sludgy Pit**

Team Renegade found themselves suddenly staring at a large lake that seemed to be made of toxic sludge. Oil drums with biohazard symbols painted on the side were overturned, spilling their green contents into the lake. Firnen cautiously poked a stick into the mess, where it dissolved with a sizzle. He hastily stepped back, not wanting to see how that lake reacted to the lake was heaps upon heaps of trash. She could see plastic bottles, broken furniture, and countless unidentifiable objects laying strewn all over the place.

She couldn't see Xerneas anywhere, and there was no trash pile large enough for him to hide, unless he could survive a toxic sludge lake. And Formora doubted that even the Legendary of Life could withstand _that_.

She heard a noise behind her, and watched as Team Jacks joined them, looking just as haggard as she and her teammates.

"He's not here," She informed them before they could speak.

"You sure?" Chandra asked, holding her nose shut.

Formora gestured to the lake. "There's no place big enough for him to hide, unless you want to look in the lake."

Chandra peered into the "water", and shuddered.

"Great. I ruined my day for nothing," she grumbled.

"No sense in being here any longer. Let's go," a Grimer suggested in Ashi's androgynous voice. The Ditto had no reason to needlessly suffer, after all.

Teams Renegade and Jacks agreed enthusiastically.

They collected Jace, and returned to the compound. They informed Shinx of their findings ("Dammit! My informant's starting to get untrustworthy…I'll have a chat with him…"), and all eight of them spent the rest of the day in their bathtubs, trying desperately to repress the memories and lingering scents of the Sludgy Cesspool.

* * *

 **Sunset Beach**

Once Formora had arrived again, it was a mere matter of using the Bypass Stone to, well, _bypass_ the dungeon. She held the gem aloft, demanding that it take her to the end. It obeyed willingly, and once again a bright green flash enveloped the surroundings.

 **Sunset Beach Cliff**

Glace was already waiting at the cliff when Formora could see again.

"Hey," Formora greeted, coming to sit next to her.

"Oh, hello. …What's that smell?" Glace greeted, sniffing the air with a wrinkled face.

"Don't worry about it. Say, do you know anything about a Pokemon named Xerneas?" Formora asked.

"Xerneas? Um…he's the Legendary of Life, and that's all. Why?"

"We're looking for him. If you see him, let me know."

"I will," Glace nodded. The two were silent for a moment, then she spoke again. "I think Meloetta's falling in love with me…"

"Meloetta? How do you know her?" Formora echoed in disbelief.

"Caine and I are staying in Lily Town, where she and Team Siren live. I keep catching her staring at me with the same expression every guy has when they look at me. I'm surprised she hasn't asked me out for dinner yet. It's already happened twice today," Glace grumbled.

"Lily Town…Team Banshee live there too, right?" Formora asked, thinking quickly. Finding their base of operations would make things go much smoother.

"I don't know. They were when Caine and I first arrived a few days ago, but exploration teams are always coming and going. I don't think they'll be returning any time soon," Glace looked sidelong at Formora. "Has your Zoroark found them yet?"

"He hasn't. By the way, who was that purple Pokemon back at Snowy Crevice?" Formora asked. She could rule Lily Town out as a place to look for the ghosts if they managed to escape. They'd have to be complete morons to go back there after mentioning it to Team Renegade.

"Oh, Hoopa? He stopped the Zoroark from catching up to Team Banshee. He came back to Lily Town when you let him go, but he left soon after. I don't know where he went," Glace explained.

"Hoopa…" Formora frowned. The name wasn't familiar to her. Perhaps Lord Giratina would know.

"Yep. He's a legendary, and his has some kind of spatial ability. That's all I know about him," Glace nodded.

"I see..." Formora said thoughtfully.

"Formora? Does being in the Dark make you happy? Aside from the fact that you're never alone, I mean?" Glace asked after a few minutes.

Formora leaned back on her hands, staring at the stars above. "For the most part, yes. I'm doing my part to make sure those like me get the happiness they deserve. I love my work, and when my task is complete I can finally live out my dream. My life right now isn't perfect, but it's much more preferable to my old one."

She spoke further of her feelings about what she did on a day-to-day basis, and even further on the perfection that was Frigid Tundra. Glace listened patiently, with rapt attention. When Formora finished, they spoke of their agreement that they both wanted more out of their lives. They both wanted greater things, and both hated to have to hide their true selves behind a mask every day.

The hours passed, and soon the moon began to approach the horizon.

"Oh, I'd better get going! I want to be back before everyone at the Lofts wakes up!" Glace exclaimed, standing up hastily.

"Alright. Same place, same time, a day after tomorrow?" Formora asked, standing up as well. Glace began hurrying towards the exit.

"Yes, sounds good. Oh, and Formora?" Glace paused, looking back at her. "I'll see if Meloetta knows anything about Xerneas."

Before Formora could reply, she was gone. Formora paused, then a smile crept across her face.

If Meloetta knew where Xerneas was, Glace would definitely find out.

* * *

 **Vaati Star created the three guardians of Destiny Ridge!**

 **Also, it's fun mocking my old writing XD**

 **The next post shall include: Destiny Ridge and its Pokemon.**


	31. Chapter 31

It was well past noon when Formora woke, but she didn't emerge from bed until around two. She felt strangely apathetic today. She had no interest in doing anything, not even a mission. The thought of even going downstairs was loathsome. She wanted to be alone today, and she decided to do just that.

She came out from her bedroom only long enough to tell Teysa to send food up and grab the puzzle of Frigid Tundra off her shelf.

Once food arrived, she sat down at her desk, and started the puzzle while she ate. It was soothing work to her, and it was past dinnertime when she finally finished. She stared at the picture of her favorite place in the world. The artist had perfectly captured the cold beauty of the frozen north, the way the tundra looked from the vantage point of the End of the World.

Even the picture was enough to enrapture her, and she decided she would take a vacation there right now. She desperately needed to get away from these walls, these Pokemon. She needed to be _alone_.

Formora walked down to Kia and Firnen's floor. She knocked on Kia's door, but there was no answer. A spike of irritation went through her. Where was Kia?! She needed the bag _now!_ Well, she was not going to move until he returned.

She ended up waiting for about an hour before the Vibrava came up the stairs.

"I need the bag," she told him before he could speak.

"Oh. Um, okay. One second, if you would," he stammered as he fumbled to unlock his door. He returned a moment later with the bag.

"Thanks," Formora said as she took it and left.

She filled it with lots of apples, berries, and seeds. Of course, she also included the Bypass Stone, an Escape Orb, an Invisify Orb, and a Warp Orb. She didn't expect to meet any trouble on the way there, but there was no sense in being unprepared.

Once she was ready, she set out.

The moon was out now, and continued to rise as she crossed the channel, into the mainland. She decided she would peek at Destiny Ridge and see if anything had changed.

When she arrived, she found an unexpected sight. There was Evan, taking down the Gallade. The other two guards were already knocked out cold.

"Finally," she heard the mercenary mutter, licking the blood of his claws. He then lunged into the Ridge.

Her pulse quickened with interest. So _there_ was Evan! If he was entering the Ridge, then Team Banshee must already be inside. She was impressed, despite herself. She hadn't expected them to arrive so soon; they must have pushed their bodies to the limit.

She wondered what would happen at the top…

Frigid Tundra could wait. This was _much_ more interesting.

* * *

 **Destiny Ridge ( watch?v=bf1SCUWaZV4)**

 **1F**

The dungeon lost its forest aspect, but the mountain part was still very much alive. The floor was a pale yellow stone that was gritty and uneven in texture. The walls were a tannish-orange hue, and completely smooth. There would be no climbing to safety on these walls. A powerful aura was emanating all around, and Formora had the distinct sense she was being sized up, measured for her potential.

Whatever, _she_ knew she was tough. And if she needed to prove it, she'd have no qualms doing so. She wasn't afraid of Victini, fire-type legendary or not. She'd taken down Ho-oh, after all.

Wordlessly, she began her trek through the dungeon.

 **2F**

There was a Togekiss in the room she arrived in. It spotted her, and zoomed towards her with Extreme Speed. Formora couldn't dodge in time, and slid across the floor. She got back up easily, as the attack had mostly knocked the breath out of her than anything else. She threw an Ice Beam at it in retaliation, but the Togekiss nullified the attack with Aura Sphere.

The two attacks met in the middle, and created a small explosion. She heard a whooshing sound, then suddenly the Togekiss was right in her face. Surprised, she swiftly blasted it with Powder Snow.

The Togekiss stumbled backwards, and Formora followed it up with another Ice Beam. Yet again, the Togekiss countered with Aura Sphere, then zoomed behind Formora with Extreme Speed. Just as Formora turned, she was struck with Air Slash. She took a few steps back, grunting underneath the strength of the blow. This Togekiss was no pushover!

Formora noticed that she was near the wall, and phased into it. As the Togekiss circled nearby, Formora stopped to think.

This Togekiss was displaying an unusually high intelligence for a dungeon Pokemon. It rapidly learned from its mistakes, as well as the best way to counter her strongest move. What even _was_ this thing…?

Intrigue piqued, she walked away from the Togekiss. Were the other dungeon Pokemon like that, too?

 **3F-7F**

It turned out that the Togekiss' intelligence wasn't an anomaly. The Charizards, Dragonites, Gengars, Aggrons, Rhyperiors, and Blisseys she also encountered displayed cunning as well. One Charizard on 4F chased her down a hallway, and when she turned the corner a Gengar was right there, waiting for her. She'd managed to defeat the Gengar from the wall and escape the Charizard, but never before had mere dungeon Pokemon shown such strategy and planning!

She enjoyed it. For the first time that day, she smiled. _Here_ was a place that got her! Ah, hopefully Victini would be on the Dark side. Anyone who understood the love of battle as Formora did was okay in her book.

Unless Victini decided to help Team Banshee. Then Formora would show her a worthy adversary.

 **8F**

Along her journey, she stumbled across a Trawl Orb. She took it along, figuring it could be useful if she ran into a Monster House or something.

— **Waypoint—**

Formora found herself at the Waypoint, with new terrain. The floor was now a sullen, grayish-brown wood paneling, with stone walls colored a shade or two darker. Small pebbles from the walls lay scattered across the floor, and she still felt the strong presence watching her. This time, it seemed almost like it had a begrudging approval, as if it approved of her having gotten this far.

She ignored the feeling, and wasted no time in moving on.

She did not tap the statue as she walked by it.

 **High Destiny Ridge ( watch?v=G0hAe7eWBYE)**

 **1F-3F**

This half of the dungeon was as it looked in the waypoint. There were no new foes here, but the ones she did encounter still had that unnerving cunning about them. There were a couple of times she had thought she had escaped a foe, only to find a Gengar lurking in the walls.

She became more alert after the third instance, and dared not let her guard down. She was almost defeated by an Aggron on 2F, but she pulled through, jumping high to avoid its Iron Head, then slamming its spinal cord with a Shadow Ball. That had downed it, and she downed an Oran Berry in return.

Things weren't much easier after that, but she never came close to defeat again.

 **4F**

As she crept through the halls, she found a small Kecleon Shop. From the looks of it, the shopkeeper was selling simple dungeon items like apples and Oran Berries. It was nothing she needed, so she ignored him and walked towards the passageway behind him.

"Hey! Aren't you even going to stop and look?" he said indignantly.

Formora rolled her eyes and kept walking.

"What, are you too good to shop here, in the dungeon of _Victini?_ " he continued.

She kept going.

"Fine! Be like that, you hag!"

That comment angered her, but a fun idea came to her head.

She kept going until she found the Stairs. Then, she pulled out the Trawl Orb, and broke it at her feet. There was a dull whirring noise, then suddenly a plethora of items lay at her feet.

Deep within the floor, she heard a faint voice screaming, "I've been robbed! Thief! Thief!"

Chuckling, she shoved as many items into her bag as she could, then scrambled up the Stairs before the shopkeeper could take revenge.

 **5F-7F**

Nothing else of any interest happened on the rest of the floors.

On 7F, as she approached the Stairs, she could hear faint voices coming from whatever lay on the next floor.

She'd never experienced anything like this before, so it was probably safe to say she would reach the end next. She took out the Warp Orb, and cautiously ascended.

 **Destiny Peak**

As she'd expected, the next floor led to the peak of the mountain. She could see the boundless night sky, which told her that the peak had to be above the clouds. From the position of the moon, it was also well past midnight by now. It was grassy here, and the air was tastefully cool. Large boulders dotted the landscape like sprinkles on ice cream, and the people she had heard were still talking.

"What's going on?" she asked, readying her Warp Orb in case she needed to make a hasty retreat. Eight Pokemon turned to stare at her.

There was Team Banshee, right in front of her, along with a tiny, orange-and-cream Pokemon that had to be Victini.

"Formora," the Litwick said in surprise. She looked ragged and exhausted, which was to be expected. Evading a mercenary, even one as stupid as Evan, wasn't exactly easy on the body, after all.

"My love!"

Speaking of the idiot, there he was too. He was held captive by a Marshtomp, Golem, and Staraptor, with a Lucario standing nearby. All four wore hoods. Evan struggled to run over to her, but the three held him tight.

She took in the scene wordlessly. It appeared Victini had set up an ambush, and the idiot had fallen for it. Figured.

She looked at the four hooded Pokemon. "So, you're the famous Hooded Brotherhood. I've heard many stories about you. You've arrested many fine Pokemon," she surmised.

"And you are Victini," she continued, turning to the tiny Pokemon. "You're a lot smaller than I imagined, but no doubt your power makes up for your size. And of course, there are the two Pokemon who've made my life so much harder."

She crossed her arms and glared at the two ghosts.

"And me, my love. Don't forget your dearest sweetheart. Oh, Formora, how I've missed you," the moron sighed in bliss.

That's it, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Would you _stop_ with the mushy words already?!" she snapped, making everyone jump. "For weeks I've had to put up with you and your endless infatuation!"

It was actually only a couple of days, but it certainly _felt_ like weeks…

"Honestly, it was enough to drive me _insane!_ I thought it would be easier, pretending to—ugh— _love_ you instead of paying. Oh, _how_ I was wrong! You would not stop pestering me with your adoration! All your 'my loves' and 'sweethearts'. Did you even hear what was coming out of your mouth? You're a _mercenary_ , for Arceus' sake, not some hopeless romantic! And yet that's exactly what you had become. Did you honestly think that it was okay to fall in love with _me?_ Or that it wasn't suspicious how I was actually returning the stupid gesture? I am the Dark's Chosen; love has no place in my cold, black heart. You were a complete fool for daring to like me. You are nothing but a tool. I am not sorry to see you sent to prison. In fact, I am overjoyed to know that I am finally rid of you once and for all," she said coldly, turning away from him in disgust.

Oh, how _delicious_ it felt to finally get all of that out in the open!

Everyone was stunned for a solid minute, then Evan flopped to the ground.

"So…it was…all a lie?" he whispered.

Of freaking _course_.

"All of it. The only reason I pretended to love you was to save a couple million Poke. I have a heart of darkness; love is the antithesis to my nature," Formora scowled at him.

The moron said nothing for a while, then burst into tears.

"You are so weak," she said scathingly, not caring at all about him. "Unable to face the truth. I am done here. I am done with you."

She turned to leave, but a question from the Litwick made her pause.

"You're…the Champion of Darkness?"

Formora paused, and turned to face her. "Yes," she said simply. "I was once a human, who was chosen by My Lord to lead the Darkness to victory. Now that I know how useless other Pokemon are, I will not be hiring anyone else to do my bidding. The next time we face each other, be it a day or ten years from now, it will be just you two, me, and my team."

She turned to leave again. She didn't care if they knew her identity. Let them. Let them know her name, know the atrocities she'd committed, and fear her.

Team Banshee could go free. She didn't feel like fighting anyone tonight. All she wanted to do was go back to Frigid Tundra.

When she was ready to hunt them down again, it would be their last confrontation.

"Halt!" a masculine voice shouted.

She rolled her eyes.

"What now?" she snapped, turning yet again.

"If you are one of the Dark, then I cannot allow you to roam free. Cave! Sips!" the Lucario ordered as the Marshtomp and Golem dove for her.

She merely broke the Orb she carried, and the next thing she knew, she was at the dungeon entrance. She fled at once, in case they decided to give chase to her. They'd never find her; she left no footprints, and she was careful not to leave the slightest sign of her presence as she moved through the highlands.

She stopped once she was well away from Destiny Ridge. She was still hours away from Frigid Tundra, but she had no more energy to run, or even to stay awake.

She was still near the mountain range that bisected the bottom half of the continent, so it didn't take her long before she found a small cave to spend the night in.

Formora forwent a fire, and drifted to sleep.

* * *

 **The next post will contain: Formora's paradise, and a Pokemon who likes disguises.**


	32. Chapter 9 The Light's Chosen

**Chapter 9. The Light's Chosen**

* * *

Formora did not have any problems on the rest of the way to Frigid Tundra. She arrived at the entrance to Snowy Crevice shortly after noon, having convinced a Dragonite to carry her to the north.

 **Snowy Crevice**

A blizzard was raging outside the dungeon, like it was only seconds since she had last come. The wind howled, threatening to bowl her over and toss her about like a plastic bag. She had to hold on tight to the bag to prevent it from being blown away, and she wasted no time in activating the Bypass Stone. A green light flashed from the gem, and she was teleported to the end.

 **Snowy Crevice Pit**

She hurried down the thin, narrow path between the ice walls. Her destination was just up ahead, and she could wait no longer. Once she had reached the crack that marked the entrance to Frigid Tundra, she activated the Stone once more.

 **Frigid Tundra**

 **The End of the World**

Her wonderful world was just as pristine as it had been since she left. The sun was high overhead, illuminating the snow to a blinding, shining white. Down below the glacier, clouds were beginning to form, no doubt in preparation for a massive blizzard.

She sat down near the edge and laughed. Here she was, all alone in the cold! There were no other people around to ruin this moment with their noise, their _presence_. Finally, she could be happy for a few moments.

"Quite an impressive view, is it not?" a sophisticated male voice said out of nowhere.

Formora whipped around, furious at whoever ruined her perfect day. She scanned the area, but saw no one.

"Show yourself, _now_ ," she demanded, preparing a Shadow Ball.

"Ah? Is my Sandshrew costume too well camouflaged for you? My dearest apologies; allow me to change into something more visible…" The words were sincere, but Formora detected a subtle, mocking tone in that educated, posh voice.

A moment of silence passed, then a Pikachu came out from behind the very boulder Formora had once hidden behind. No, hold on…The Pokemon may have looked like a Pikachu, but it was actually a Mimikyu, wearing a Weather Band on its arm.

Wait…

"'Tis quite the honor to finally meet you, Lady Formora! I have heard so much about you. Your strength, your cruelty…Indeed, any lesser Pokemon would be rightfully quaking in their boots!" the Mimikyu curtsied with a laugh. He had a strange accent that was flowy and elegant, like waves crashing gently onto a beach.

She had heard of this smug, arrogant Pokemon. He was in the top 5 Most Wanted enemies of the Dark.

"You're awfully brave to come here, Mimikyu. What are you doing here?" she asked warily, never taking her eyes off him. This Pokemon was a master of misdirection; it would do her no good to relax her guard.

"I wanted to meet you, of course. I've heard so much about you, my dear, that I simply _had_ to see you for myself! And I must say, the rumors do not lie!" Mimikyu simpered, curtsying again.

"How'd you know I'd be here?" Formora demanded, disgusted at his attempts to cozy up to her. She'd told no one of her plans; how did he know?

"I saw you travelling yesterday. Your face was filled with such _longing,_ I knew you were heading to your favorite place in Northland!" Mimikyu answered, casually taking out a nail file and using it.

"How do you know that? And that's not the name of this land," Formora was getting rather unnerved that this tiny little creature knew so much about her. Was there a spy in the Dark base, feeding him information?

"I always have one ear to the ground, my dear! I know many, _many_ things. And as for my choice of moniker, well, I am Summerian, you see, and that is what we call your land. Is that answer satisfactory?" Mimikyu asked politely, like he wasn't about to get his face bashed in.

"Whatever. You made a grave mistake, coming here and ruining my day. I'll make sure you never make it again!" Formora growled, tossing a Shadow Ball at him.

Mimikyu leaped aside gracefully, and sighed, though he didn't sound all too disappointed. "I had hoped to avoid combat, but alas, it was meant to be. I shouldn't be surprised; what you get is what you see, after all."

* * *

 **Boss battle (** **watch?v=qbMPHa-ncZk** **)**

"Don't you mean, 'what you see is what you get'?" Formora snorted, throwing another one at him.

He dodged again, and laughed, like a teacher who had just heard a silly answer from a student. "Nay, not at all! I am your enemy because you think of me as that. Your preconceptions have shaped your reality. If you saw me as a friend, then I would be your friend. We don't _have_ to fight…"

"I would _never_ befriend one of Cresselia's agents," Formora snarled, instead throwing her Ice Beam at him. This time, Mimikyu countered with Thunderbolt.

Once the smoke from the resulting blast cleared, Mimikyu tilted his head slightly.

"Cresselia? Whoever said I was currently affiliated with her?"

"You are, aren't you? Why else would you work against us?"

Mimikyu nodded slowly. "Ah, I see now…Allow me to answer that with a question of my own: say you build a ship entirely from scratch. Over time, you have to replace the parts as they get worn and old. Eventually, you replace every part so that none of the original material remains. Tell me, can you still call that your ship?"

"Wha—of _course_! What kind of question is that?!" Formora scoffed.

Mimikyu sighed. "It is as I said Lady Formora: the answer to your question. Please, think on it some more."

"No!" Formora snapped, chucking Shadow Ball at him. It whizzed straight for him, and this time he was unable to casually leap away. It slammed right into his face, knocking him flat on his back.

"…I see. You truly _do_ view me as your enemy. *sigh* Very well, I will oblige. But I will not give up on you, dearest Formora. One day, I _will_ reshape your reality! Now then, Dark Lady, show me your strength!" Mimikyu urged, standing back up. The neck of his costume was broken, but other than that there wasn't a scratch on him.

No matter; Formora had read about Mimikyus before. They got one free hit, but after that they were fair game.

Formora chucked another fastBall at him, but he was prepared. He jumped over it, towards her, extending a long, thin arm that glowed with a shadowy, purple aura. His Shadow Claw raked across her chest, sending three sharp pains up her neck.

She stepped backward, sucking in a breath. The reports of his strength hadn't been exaggerating!

"By the way, dear Formora…I don't _always_ work against the Dark. I help on occasion, which is why you shouldn't view me entirely as your foe," Mimikyu said calmly, watching her.

" _I. Won't. Listen to you!"_ Formora shouted, hurling an Ice Beam from her right hand. She swept her hand in an arc, from the right to the left. Mimikyu jumped to the left, as she'd expected, and the shout he made when she nailed him with an Ice Beam from her left hand was oh so gratifying.

"'Twas worth a shot," Mimikyu shrugged, sending a Thunderbolt her way. Formora copied him, rolling out of the way of the electric attack.

As she somersaulted back to her feet (so to speak), she hurled another Shadow Ball at him. He sidestepped, and his eyes flashed white. Then all of a sudden, her own attack was thrown right back at her!

She was too surprised to move, and the Ball hit her exactly where Mimikyu had struck her with his claws before. She was thrown back a few feet, but remained standing. She was certain that was Mimic she just saw and not actually Shadow Ball, on account of the way his eyes had flashed.

"'Tis in my name, dear," Mimikyu agreed, as if guessing her thoughts.

His calm demeanor made her angry, and she rushed him. He seemed to expect this, for he met her incoming charge brazenly with Thunderbolt. She paused, screaming as a powerful shock coursed through her body. This time, she fell face-first to the ground. Damn, he was clever! She had to stop playing into his game if she wanted to take him down. She tried to think of what she knew about him. He aggravated everyone in the base, he was powerful…and he was trying to befriend her.

"Why are you holding back?" she asked, looking up at him. She knew he was; she could sense it from his attacks. "Even though I see you as my foe, like you said?"

"I only wished to meet you, not fight you. But this gives me the chance to see what you are made of, Lady Formora," Mimikyu replied, not moving.

She pretended to mull it over. "…You said you sometimes helped us? How? Why"

"I have my own sources of information. I like to be charitable with what I know on occasion. Every now and then, I'll slip something tasty to Shinx. I never lie. 'Tis incredibly uncouth. As for the 'why', again, the answer lies in my puzzle. I'm told you like them."

 _HOW THE HELL DOES HE KNOW THAT?!_ she thought, struggling to keep her face in a thoughtful expression.

She stood. "I don't suppose you know anything that could be useful to me?"

Mimikyu cocked his head. "Oh? What is this?"

She crossed her arms. "I'm not stupid; I know a good opportunity when I see one. I was mad that you interrupted my day, and I acted irrationally. Having you on our side would deal a huge blow to my enemies."

Mimikyu brightened. "Ah, your reality has shifted, as I hoped! 'Tis true, my services would be inordinately useful to you. It would be an honor to be your acquaintance."

Formora put on a charming half-smile, and she extended her hand. "I'm sorry I attacked you. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, dear. And I apologize in turn for my intrusion upon your Eden," Mimikyu nodded, putting his hand in hers.

She figured 'Eden' was the Summerian term for Frigid Tundra, and she closed her hand firmly around Mimikyu's.

Then she ripped off his Weather Band and powerslammed him into the ice.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?!" he shrieked as she held him against the ground, pelting him over and over again with Ice Beam. She was incredibly pleased to hear that he was already succumbing to the effects of the cold.

She ignored him, batting his hand away with her free hand when he tried to Shadow Claw her. She picked him up, then threw him.

* * *

Mimikyu let out a sharp hiss as he was thrown against an ice cap. He fell to the ground like the ragdoll he was, and didn't stir for a few moments.

Formora stood over him coldly as he struggled to get up.

"My, you're…c-certainly strong. I haven't had…th-this much trouble from a Dark a-a-agent in…quite a wh-while," he said in a light-but-pained tone, shivering against the bitter bite of the cold.

"I haven't had a real challenge in forever. Know where I could find one?" she taunted idly, nibbling on an Oran Berry.

"Leave the s-subtlety to me, dear…I was c-c-careless today, but never again…" Mimikyu said, finally managing to stand up, though on trembling legs (or whatever was underneath that rag).

"Never again," Formora agreed, summoning a Shadow Ball.

But Mimikyu must have been faking the extent of his injuries, for he lashed a long, tendril-thin arm out and flung a large spray of snow right at her face. Formora dispelled the ball and shielded her eyes. When the snow cleared, Mimikyu was nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd you go?! I know you're still here," Formora snarled, re-summoning her Ball and stalking all around the ice caps. She found his Pikachu rag behind the cap he was thrown against, but that was the only sign of him. She picked it up, her eyes darting all around for the slightest hint of his black shadowy mass slinking about. But it was as if he had disappeared. All she could see was white against white.

Eventually, she was forced to admit that he had gotten away, somehow.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, frustrated at the events of this day. No one was supposed to be here, _especially_ not arrogant, stupid, aggravating little Mimikyu! Next time she saw him, ohhhhh, she'd take her sweet, _sweet_ time in making him suffer…

Her day was ruined. She no longer wanted to be here, and she still had a meeting with Glace tonight. She'd have to leave soon if she wanted to make it to Sunset Beach in time.

She threw Mimikyu's rag and Band over the glacier, into the ocean miles below, and left.

* * *

Five minutes after she had gone, a white shape slowly eased itself from its spot against an ice cap. Mimikyu let out a sigh of relief as he stepped out into the open. His Sandshrew costume had been the only thing that saved him from the wrath of that angry, interesting Froslass.

He was saddened that she was not yet ready for his services, but he was pleased at her wit. Let her think she had tricked him into lowering his guard; with some work, she could be almost as cunning as him. Almost his equal.

He'd have to get a new Pikachu costume, he mused as he too left the intolerably-cold dungeon. It was his favorite, but he'd been forced to abandon it when he switched disguises. The extent of Formora's ruthlessness had surprised him, and he vowed to himself that he'd be extra careful.

Next time.

* * *

 **Sunset Beach Cliff**

Glace had just sat down when Formora beamed herself to the cliff. The Glaceon whipped around, startled, but relaxed when she saw it was just Formora.

"Oh, Formora! Hi! I haven't gotten anything out of Meloetta just yet, but I'm trying. I'm letting her think I'm interested in her. How are you?" she greeted.

Formora shrugged. "I'm alright, I guess. I tried to go on vacation, but it was ruined."

"What happened?"

Formora told Glace of yesterday and today. They spoke further, of other, more pleasant topics. Glace was curious about the doings of the Dark, and Formora promised to tell her about it during their next meeting. They agreed to meet the day after tomorrow, at midnight once more.

The two said their goodbyes, and Formora returned to the base.

* * *

 **Mimikyu is by far my favorite Gen 7 Pokemon. But I'm biased towards ghosts, soooo…**

 **The next post shall contain: a quarry, a quarry, and the name of the most important quarry. And no I am not sorry.**


	33. Chapter 33

Formora woke early, but had little desire to go downstairs and interact with her peers. Why did Mimikyu have to show up at the End of the World and ruin everything?

That reminded her, how did he know about her fondness for puzzles?

She stepped into her living room, where her bodyguard Orzhova was starting to go to bed.

"Did you or Teysa tell anyone about my puzzles?" she asked the Cinccino.

Orzhova paused, obviously not expecting such a random question. "We have not. Why do you ask?"

"Never mind, don't worry about it," Formora dismissed with a wave of her hand. If her servants didn't tell anyone, then it must have been Kia or Firnen, as they were the ones who gave her puzzles in the first place.

The two were in the Intel room, as it turned out, along with Teams Ascension, Prestige, Jacks, and Necro. Shinx was handing out reports of Shiny sightings. Formora quietly took a seat near her teammates as Shinx passed them a sheet of paper.

"Those are the reports of the last-seen locations of Shinies in the southeast as of dawn. Most of them should still be in their respective areas. Let me know if any leads turn out to be false," Shinx said after he'd finished.

It was an odd thing to end on, but Formora remembered that he occasionally had trouble obtaining good info from an asset. She looked at the paper he had given Team R.

A trio of explorers named Team Dawnchaser were last seen entering a dungeon named Magnetic Quarry. Two of the three members were Shiny (a Bounsweet and a Bagon), but the biggest problem lay in the fact that the dungeon was also the hiding spot of one of Arceus' lost Plates. Should the team go free with the Plate in their hands…

"We'll go right away," Formora said, standing.

The trio left for the dungeon, passing a late-yet-again Jace in the hall as they did.

* * *

 **Magnetic Quarry (** watch?v=7zkR6Sp_kMU **)**

Magnetic Quarry certainly lived up to its name. Formora, Firnen, and Kia arrived at a giant, unused rock quarry with a pit that had to be at least a mile deep into the ground. The edges of the pit were steep and appeared unstable, but stair-like platforms were built at uneven intervals that spiraled into the hole. Formora peered into the pit, and saw a large lake lying at the bottom. Surrounding the quarry were rusted pipes and shards of metal. She tried to pick a pipe up, but it was rooted firmly against the ground. Well, she supposed it was called Magnetic for a reason…

The entrance was located a few meters away from the edge, and consisted solely of a set of stairs leading down into the quarry.

She loathed to go down, as the dungeon was assuredly going to be small and not have much room for movement.

But they had a job to do, so she swallowed her disdain and descended, with her teammates following close behind.

 **B1F-B3F**

The inside was much like the outside in that the floor was a dirt-brown stone. The walls were a russet brown rock, but much of it was covered in various mosses and lichens. Little bits of metal were stuck all around the room. The air was thick and musty, making breathing somewhat difficult, and there was little light in this tiny, cramped dungeon.

Formora sighed inwardly. She'd rather be outside in the open space instead of this claustrophobic hellhole. However, it would feel nice to take her frustration out on these Shinies. She desperately needed to hurt something after her ruined vacation.

The trio moved north, walking carefully through the dark halls. They encountered Magnemites, Magnetons, Beldums, Metangs, Nosepasses, and Probopasses; Pokemon that were connected in some way to magnetism.

If only the foes could be permanently stuck to the walls…

 **B4F**

"I met Mimikyu yesterday," she said idly as they crept through a hallway barely wide enough for them to walk through.

"What?! What happened?" her friends chorused.

She told them of her day yesterday, how she had gone to Frigid Tundra for a vacation, where Mimikyu appeared and tried to befriend her. She narrated how she had tricked him, and lost him.

"He knows I like puzzles. Did you two tell anyone?" she ended.

The boys shook their heads.

"We did not. The Pokemon we bought them from could have told Mimikyu of our purchases, and put two and two together," Kia suggested.

That made the most sense.

"And it is worrying that he's taken an interest in you. It sounds like he wants you on his side, and no matter who he currently serves, it is not a side you want to be a part of," Kia continued.

"Next time we encounter him, we'll teach him not to corrupt our Champion," Firnen agreed, slamming his fist in his hand.

 **B5F-B9F**

Not much of interest happened to Team R on the next few floors. The abundance of steel-types gave all three some pause, and Kia's Earth Power was greatly appreciated. The Beldums and Metangs were also susceptible to Formora's Shadow Ball, so it wasn't as if they had to rely solely on Earth Power.

It was tedious work, but they managed.

 **B10F**

On B10F, Team Renegade found a new foe.

It was a Metagross, lumbering into the room they were in right as they arrived on the floor. It took one look at them, and suddenly Formora felt a psychic force lifting her into the air.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, struggling to move her body. But the Metagross' Psychic had too tight a grip on her. She was then flung into the nearby wall with a hard _crack_.

She sucked in a breath as pain shot all through her skull. She picked herself up, growling. Kia and Firnen were already diving into action, striking the formidable foe with Earth Power and Dragon Pulse. The Metagross easily endured the hits, then glared at her friends with a Scary Face. The boys faltered, momentarily subdued.

Formora walked backwards into the wall she'd struck, sneaking behind the Metagross (who was currently giving Kia the same treatment it had given her) and shooting it in the back with Shadow Ball.

The attack got its attention, and it turned around to see who had dared strike it. Formora waved tauntingly. The stupid hunk of metal couldn't touch her within the wall!

The Metagross was struck again with Dragon Pulse, and it began _racing_ around the room, gaining speed with its Agility.

Kia and Firnen tried to hit it, but the burly Pokemon zoomed out of the way. It then lunged forward, slamming a Bullet Punch straight into Firnen's face. The Fraxure was sent careening through the air, and straight into the wall. He slid down awkwardly, a pained grimace on his face.

This had gone on long enough. When the Metagross stopped to catch its breath, she got its attention again with Shadow Ball. It opened its mouth to roar in pain, but instead got a mouthful of another Shadow Ball.

It paused, a nonplussed look on its face.

Then it vanished.

Formora returned to the actual dungeon, thankful that that was over. The three took care of their wounds, and moved on, on a careful lookout for more Metagrosses.

 **B11F-B14F**

Thankfully, Team R didn't run into any more Metagrosses for the rest of the trip. They honestly weren't *that* much of a problem, but the trio had no desire to encounter any more anytime soon. They continued onward, carefully feeling their way through the narrow, dim halls. The air quality continued to worsen, signaling that they were deep underground now.

They took a brief rest on B12F, replenishing their strength and filling their bellies with apples. Once they all felt they could continue, they moved on.

 **B15F**

Formora was incredibly uncomfortable. As she walked down a hall, both sides brushed against her arms. Oh, how she _longed_ to see the sky again, even for a second! This place was way too tiny and narrow. She was on edge, every little movement or noise annoying her.

"Oh, Lady Formora, isn't your birthday in a week?" Kia's voice came out of nowhere.

She jumped, and automatically opened her mouth to screech her indignation.

But Kia was a friend, so she closed her mouth, took a few deep breaths, and kept moving.

"Is it? I haven't kept track," she said.

She didn't care much for birthdays, having bad memories of her previous ones. When she still lived with her parents, they always took special care to remind her that she was worthless, undeserving of life. Once she had run away, she only had the change of the season to mark her age. She did recall spending her sixteenth in the hospital, having almost succumbed to hypothermia.

She'd be nineteen this year.

Normally, the ill-remembered day came on December 12th. But this dimension was five months behind her original world, so now it would come on July 12th.

She grimaced. In her Froslass body, she'd much rather have a winter birthday than a summer one. Strange, she was having a hard time remembering what she originally looked like…

"Is there anything special you would like?" Firnen was asking.

She pulled herself back into the real world. "Hm? Oh. Um, I don't know. I've never had—what is it? A birthday party? It doesn't really sound fun. For me."

The thought of everyone at the compound looking at her, congratulating her on something that meant nothing to her, made her skin crawl.

Nope, she did _not_ want a huge celebration.

"Oh. Okay. Well, let us know if you change your mind," Firnen said kindly.

Formora nodded absently.

 **Magnetic Clearing**

FINALLY! They were out of that miserable, cramped dungeon!

As luck would have it, their targets were still within the dungeon. The Shiny Bounsweet and Bagon were staring into the murky water of the lake along with the third member, a normal Joltik. They were looking at something half-submerged in the water: Arceus' Plate.

"What do you think it is?" the Bounsweet asked cautiously, reaching out and nudging it. She gasped, no doubt from the visions that occurred when a Plate was touched. "I saw things! Metal things, steel buildings…"

"It _has_ to be treasure! Let's take it with us!" the Bagon said eagerly, grabbing one end of the Plate and pulling it out of the water.

"I'm afraid that can't happen," Formora announced mildly, preparing an Ice Beam.

The trio turned, and right as they did, Team Renegade attacked. Formora blasted the Bounsweet with Ice Beam, Kia struck down the Joltik with Earth Power, and Firnen savagely bathed the Bagon in Dragon Pulse.

All three tiny Pokemon crumbled underneath the strength of the attacks. Formora laughed scathingly; all of these Pokemon were so _weak!_

They deserved their fate.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" the Joltik demanded, struggling to stand.

Team Renegade ignored him, and carried the pathetic team outside.

* * *

Formora set down the Joltik, whom she had been carrying. "You can go. We have no quarrel with you, so long as you don't get in our way."

"What?" the idiot squeaked.

Formora huffed in annoyance. Couldn't he guess what was happening?

"We're taking your teammates. You'll have to find new ones, I'm afraid," Kia, ever the patient one, explained kindly.

"Why?" the Bounsweet trembled, struggling vainly in Kia's grasp. He dug his fingers into her flesh.

"None of that," he warned. "We won't hesitate to hurt you if we have to."

"Oh! These three, they're part of the group kidnapping Shinies!" the Bagon exclaimed. At least _he_ had some degree of intelligence.

"About time you realized it. Now, as I said, the Joltik can go free. We're not after him. But as for you two…well, that's different. I'll be honest, you two will either end up dead or maimed. Probably both," Formora shrugged.

The three captives gasped in horror. The Joltik lunged for his teammates, but Formora was expecting him to do something stupid like that.

She caught him mid-leap, and brought her hand down on one of his larger eyes. He faltered, wailing in pain. She threw him down on the ground, and tsked.

"I _just_ told you not to get in our way! They never listen," she complained to Kia and Firnen.

"You'll never get away with it! We'll stop you!" the Bagon said desperately, trying to Headbutt Firnen. A swift crack to the back of the Bagon's neck rendered him unconscious.

"Anyone else want to try stupid things?" Formora said in delight. To her disappointment, the Joltik and Bounsweet realized the futility of struggle. Pity, she had been hoping they would.

"…Good. Now, off we go. Say goodbye you two," Formora waved to the now-crying Joltik as she walked away.

"Don't fight them! We'll get out of this, I promise!" the Bounsweet shouted to him, wiggling in Kia's grasp. Kia held on tighter to her, putting an arm over her mouth as he did.

Formora burst out in fits of laughter at the ridiculous claim. "You won't, I promise."

"No! Take me with you!" the Joltik begged, skittering after the group.

Firnen kicked him away. "No. Go away."

But the sobbing idiot continued to moan and plead for Team Renegade to either take him instead or let his friends go.

Formora soon tired of his cries, so she knocked him out with Ice Beam.

"Finally, some quiet," she snorted.

* * *

They dropped off their cargo with Oksana, and returned to the actual compound. Once they were back within its halls, Formora felt a wonderfully cold aura nearby. She brightened. Kyurem must be around again!

He was seated in the cafeteria, calmly eating alongside the Minun named Kay. Everyone who wasn't an ice-type was seated as far away from his as they could manage, as they weren't used to the cold.  
Team Renegade filled their plates full of food, and sat down at their usual spots up front.

"Hey, Cate!" Kia called to the Espurr, who was walking nearby. The shy girl paused, looking uncertainly up at Kia, who was surrounded by the most prestigious members of their cause.

"Um…yes?" she squeaked.

"Would you, um…like to sit with m—us?" Kia asked, his cheeks turning a bright red all of a sudden.

Cate's eyes widened, and her cheeks turned a similar shade of rouge. "M-me?! Is…is that allowed?"

"Of course! Come on, we don't bite!" Katrina beamed down at her.

Cate looked at everyone at the table, then back at where Formora assumed was her usual spot, tucked away in a corner.

"Um…okay…" Cate whispered, slinking over to the group. Kia and Firnen made space between them, and Vesuvius placed a chair in the spot. Cate hopped on up, staring at her plate and refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Writing any new songs, Cate? You're fantastic on that guitar of yours," Cradily asked kindly. Cate shook her head.

"No…I don't have much time these days…" she whispered to her plate.

"Are Troja and Marvel still giving you trouble?" Formora asked through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

Cate winced. "Sometimes. Not as much as before, thanks to Kialandi."

Formora could tell she was downplaying it. So her teammates were still being jerks to her…hm.

"Oh? What did you do, Kia?" Fiona inquired.

Kia blushed. "I've been helping her train, is all."

Dinner continued to be an awkward affair. Cate was obviously uncomfortable with all the attention from Pokemon she never expected to deign to speak to her. Fortunately, the others caught on, and left her alone. As Formora ate, she noticed that Troja and Marvel were staring at Cate, and they did not look pleased. She caught their eye, and raised an eyebrow, sending a silent message: I wouldn't say anything if I were you.

* * *

After dinner, Formora took a nice cold bath and prepared for bed. Just as she was about to pull the covers over herself, there was a knock at her bedroom door.

"Lady Formora! Lord Giratina has a message for you!" Teysa called.

Curious at what her leader had to say at this hour, Formora walked to her vanity, where Giratina's visage awaited.

" **Ah, hello Formora! Did I wake you?"** he said in a joyful, booming voice.

"No, not at all. What do you need of me?" she replied, intrigued at his cheerful mood.

" **Ah, my dear Formora, I have discovered something wonderful! I caught Arceus talking to his Champion telepathically just moments ago! I followed the channel, and I got to speak to the Champion myself!"**

Formora had to do a double-take.

" _What?!_ What happened after that?" she demanded.

" **I learned a few things about your mortal enemy. One, your foe is female. Two, she is not in our hands. I saw through her eyes, and I did not recognize the building. Three, her name is Ezra. One of her friends was foolish enough to let that slip. Do you recognize the name?"** Giratina purred, his wings fanning inward, then outward, in delight.

Formora frowned as she thought.

"…No, I don't," she said honestly, sighing. "I'll certainly keep an ear out."

" **As shall I. Ah, this was a great day for us! And tomorrow, it shall be a horrible day for Arceus. I must punish It for defying me. Well, I shall let you sleep now, Formora. I just wanted to share my news with you. Goodnight."**

* * *

 **If you go back, you'll notice that Formora never refers to Ezra by her name, only her species.**

 **The next installment shall contain: familiar foes, an unwanted gift, and a question for Glace.**


	34. Chapter 34

"I've got a busy day ahead of meeeee!" Oksana trilled happily at breakfast. It was just her and Team Renegade at this early hour. It was only half an hour past dawn; most of the others wouldn't be awake for some time yet.

"Oh?" Formora inquired, spreading jam on her toast.

"Our leader told me thees morning that Ezra wasn't een my care. So, I get to spend the day housecleaning!" the Eelektross beamed.

"You know, you shouldn't kill all of them," Firnen mused.

Oksana turned to him with a frown. "And why ees that?"

He shrugged. "You should release some of the most injured ones. You know, to remind the world of what you're capable of doing to our enemies."

Oksana was mollified at this, and she thought for a moment, tapping a razor-sharp tooth with her fork.

"Hmm. I do like my work being known...But I also like making them suffer…I'll send them to the ends of dungeons where escape weell be all but eempossible een their states. Only the most tenacious weell survive," she decided.

"What about the Deadlands? Couldn't you send some through there?" Formora suggested, reaching for more toast.

"Nah, they'd all die weetheen the first ten seconds. There needs to be _some_ chance of escape," Oksana refuted.

She stood. "Well, I'm off to work! I have a full schedule on my plate~"

* * *

Firnen decided to spend the morning working out, and Kia explained that he and Cate had another training session planned. Formora had nothing to do, so she decided to see what was going on in Intel.

As she began walking up to the second floor, one of the Blissey door guards stopped her.

"There you are, Lady Champion! Package for you came today," she said in between gasps. She must have raced all over the base looking for Formora.

Formora accepted the box, and found no return address. There wasn't even a note to identify who it was from. Confused but curious, she took the box up to her room, grabbed her knife off of her nightstand, and slit the tape.

Inside the box was another box. When she opened that one, she found a bunch of puzzle pieces greeting her.

She grinned in delight. Did Kia and Firnen get her another one as an early birthday gift?

She retired to her bedroom, and got to work.

It took her quite a while to put this one together. For one, there was no picture of what the puzzle was supposed to depict anywhere. She had only similar-looking pieces to go by.

The puzzle was eventually completed in the early afternoon. Formora stood over the finished product with a frown.

It was a ship, sailing across an ocean on a cloudless sunny day. Written near the top in gold marker were the words, 'Let me know if you solve it!'. Beside the sentence was a little heart. The script was looping and elegant, and there was only one Pokemon that could have sent the gift.

With a snarl of rage, Formora swept the puzzle off her desk, where it crashed onto the floor. Parts of the puzzle came undone, but she no longer cared, nor wanted the thing.

Mimikyu. Freaking _Mimikyu_.

She opened her window, and threw the pieces and box out of it, down into the ocean below. Mimikyu belonged there too, tied to an anchor, but she could not fulfill her desire.

Yet.

Having wasted her morning for nothing, she went to the place she originally meant to go to.

* * *

There must have not been any meetings today, for the conference room was devoid of everyone but Shinx, who was pouring over various reports. He looked up as she entered.

"Oh, hello Formora. What's up?"

"Not much. Did everyone find their marks yesterday?" she asked, sitting across from him.

He sighed. "All but one. The last one was a false lead. Bet you can't guess who had given me that one."

He seemed to recall something, and rummaged around through his papers. Once he found the one he was looking for, he handed it to Formora.

"Oh, interesting thing happened today. You know that team you three went after? Well, Murkrow told me at lunch that the remaining Joltik is talking about rescuing his friends. She says that he's supposedly going to find a powerful friend of his. And you know what this oh-so-powerful Pokemon is? A _Shiny_ Sableye."

Formora raised her eyebrows. This _was_ interesting.

"Now, don't get your hopes up. The Sableye is reported to be male. Your Ezra is female, right? So it can't be the Enemy," Shinx added hastily, seeing her face.

Formora shook her head, and stood. "That's fine. I told that Joltik not to interfere. It appears Team Renegade needs to have a little 'chat' with him. Where does this Sableye live?"

* * *

 **Wicked Wildlands ( watch?v=S91sN1KRX2U)**

Kia and Firnen were done with their activities by the time she summoned them, and both agreed that the Joltik needed to learn his place. But what they didn't agree on was Formora's decision to bring both Joltik and Sableye to the base.

"There's no reason for us to bring them back! We all know the Sableye isn't the Champion," Kia protested as Formora surveyed the land.

Wicked Wildlands was smack in the middle of a flat stretch of nothingness. The grass was long and tickly against their sides, with a few scraggly bushes scattered here and there. It was bright and sunny, but in the distance they could see dark thunderclouds. Underneath those ever-lasting clouds marked the legendary Zekrom's home. A bright jagged line of thunder zoomed through the black sky, and a second later a hearty _BOOM_ reached their ears.

"No, but we told Joltik not to interfere, and he is. If he wants to see his friends so badly, I say we let him. Of course, his friends might not be alive by that time, but hey, he'll still see them one last time. And he can die knowing that he doomed the Shiny Sableye. The fewer Shinies for Ezra to hide around, the better," she stated.

She walked further down the path, and into the shadowy dungeon.

 **B1F-B5F**

Something was tickling her sides. It was _more_ long yellow grass! A few boulders were strewn here and there throughout the room, along with some pink flowers. The walls were a light brown stone, with bushes growing along the top. It was a rather unexciting place to look at, and Formora didn't give her surroundings a second thought.

"Let's go," she said, choosing to go east.

This dungeon, as it turned out, was mainly home to ground-types. They encountered Sandslashes, Diggersbys, Trapinches, and Rhydons, along with Zebstrikas, Ponytas, Girafarigs, and Skarmorys. The foes hardly put up a fight worthy of Team R's time, and the first few floors zoomed by.

 **B6F**

Amidst their exploration, a Trapinch blocked their way down a long hallway. One Ice Beam later, it disappeared, dropping a rainbow glitter-covered orb.

"Ooh!" Formora brightened, grabbing the One-Shot Orb. She loved this type of orb.

The next time they came across a Skarmory, colorful sparkles utterly annihilated it.

 **B7F-B10F**

The next few floors passed by without any trouble. Aside from the Ponytas, Zebstrikas, and Skarmories, the rest of the dungeon Pokemon fell easily to Formora's relentless assaults. Even without the type advantage, the foes were naturally weak. It made sense, though: to the Joltik, this place must be an unbearable nightmare. He must be truly desperate to brave this ground-type paradise.

Ah, to dash his hopes yet again…

Formora smiled.

 **B11F**

Team Renegade were getting hungry. They decided to sit down for a brief rest and a quick snack. But as soon as Firnen sat down, the ground underneath him crumbled, and he fell down a set of hidden Stairs with an unmanly shriek.

It turned out that he had inadvertently stumbled upon a Secret Bazaar.

"Welcome!" Kirlia beamed at the group.

Team Renegade weren't interested in any of the shops, though, and instead held their picnic in the store. At least now they were assured they wouldn't be interrupted by enemies.

 **B12F-B16F**

They didn't run into any more shops after that, but there were certainly plenty of Wonder Orbs scattered around the place. Did Joltik pick any of them up, hoping they would help him rescue his teammates? He'd soon learn there was no hope for him, or anyone who decided to stand in Formora's way.

 **B17F**

In the middle of exploration, she was beginning to feel hungry again. As luck would have it, there was a Brown Gummi in the next chamber. She popped it into her mouth, and tasted a mouthful of rice.

Rice? _Really_?

Ground-types were weird.

 **Wicked Savanna**

The trio found themselves at the end of the dungeon. They were still in the savanna, surrounded by long grass, but they could now see the beginnings of a forest in the horizon. Short bushes grew here and there, and about a half-mile away they could see some trees and a small watering hole.

In front of them, however, were two familiar faces.

"Oh! You three! Chan, look~!" the Gourgeist they had fought at Seafoam Sea beamed, noticing their arrival. Her companion, a Chandelure, was standing over two unconscious figures: a Joltik, and a Shiny Sableye.

He turned at Gourgeist's word, and gasped.

"Oh my, it's been awhile! Hello, hello! You _just_ missed us defeating these two. See, Gour and I have learned much after our battle at Seafoam Sea. We've gotten stronger, and we challenged this Sableye for the right to live here at Wicked Wildlands. And we have won! Gour and I have finally found our home, and we can now live as dungeon bosses!" Chandelure laughed grandly, twirling around.

"We searched far and wide for a home to battle explorers in. Then we came here, and now we've found it~!" Gourgeist giggled in her odd sing-song voice.

"Let us show you how strong we've become. After all, we are real dungeon bosses now!" Chandelure intoned, spreading his arms.

* * *

 **Boss battle! ( watch?v=lVwstM4vZC8)**

"Do we have to?" Kia grumbled, incinerating Gourgeist's Leech Seed with Dragon Breath.

"Yes. It won't take long," Formora answered, ducking beneath him to snipe Gourgeist with Ice Beam. She shrieked, and was sent back a few steps.

"You three have gotten better too! How delightful!" Chandelure declared happily, sending a red light into to the sky. The beam disappeared, and at once the sun grew brighter.

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

He began absorbing solar energy, before shooting it at Formora and Firnen.

"Hang on!" Firnen yelled, diving in front of the duo with Protect. The green dome effortlessly blocked the Solar Beam.

"Nice save," Formora said to him as she and Firnen blasted Chandelure with Shadow Ball and Dragon Breath as the latter recovered from the powerful attack.

Chandelure blanched, then became surrounded in a black outline. A similar aura surrounded Kia, and the combined Pain of both of them was Split, with Kia taking the worst of it.

Formora formed a Shadow Ball, intent on helping her friend, but something landed on her head. Before she could even blink, thick vines grew around her body, constricting her movements so that she was helpless. The vines glowed red, and Formora hissed as her energy was drained, and given to Gourgeist.

"Formora!" Firnen was soon by her side, ripping away the tendrils with Dragon Claw. He helped her back up, then charged for Gourgeist.

Gourgeist leaped out of the way, spraying his back with Bullet Seed as he dove past. But while she was concentrated on Firnen, she made it all too easy for Formora to hit her with Ice Beam.

"Ah~!" she shrieked, her feet frozen to the ground by ice. She struggled to be free, making herself an easy target.

"Gour!" Chandelure exclaimed, diving in front of Firnen and Formora's Ice Beam and Dragon Pulse. The blowback sent him sprawling, but Chandelure was quick to recover with another Pain Split, this time targeting Formora.

Formora let out a sharp cry as wounds appeared on her body. She stumbled, but righted herself. Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

"Hey! Don't you two _dare_ move! Stay right where you are!" she barked at the Joltik and Sableye, who had awoken and were trying to sneak away.

Gourgeist freed herself, and she and Chandelure turned to look.

"Yes! Come watch our fight~!" she agreed, squinting at them through the harsh sunlight.

"Stay right there, or a 'stray' attack might hit you," Firnen warned, showing the two his Dragon Claw.

Both Joltik and Sableye paled, but obeyed.

Formora blasted Chandelure with Shadow Ball before he could focus back on the battle. When he cried out, Gourgeist turned to look back at him. Formora quickly rounded off a fastBall at her, sending both ghosts sprawled onto their backs.

The familiar black outline surrounded Chandelure, then Firnen.

"Stop him!" Formora shouted. She hurled another fastBall at Chandelure, momentarily distracting him from Splitting his Pain. Kia and Firnen followed suit with Earth Power and Dragon Pulse.

Chandelure shuddered, then lay still.

"Chan~!" Gourgeist cried, seeing her friend defeated. She turned to the trio, her cheeks puffed out in anger. "I'll defeat you~!"

Her shadow grew, extending itself until it was underneath Formora. Before the Froslass could figure out what was going on, the latter felt a sharp pain at the base of her neck.

Formora gasped in pain, falling to the ground. She landed on her arms, wincing. Damn, Gourgeist sure knew how to Shadow Sneak!

She looked up, spotting Kia flying above Gourgeist, and threw an Ice Beam at the ghost/grass-type. Gourgeist jumped away, and dodged Firnen's subsequent Dragon Pulse too. But Gourgeist failed to notice Kia as he slammed down on top of her, pinning her to the ground. He held her arms and head so she couldn't attack him.

It was short work dispatching her.

* * *

"Ah…It seems we still have much to learn, Chan~" Gourgeist winced, shaking the loose bits of grass off her once she came to.

"Wicked Wildlands is not to be our home after all…I can accept this. This place is too open for my liking. Gour, let us continue our quest elsewhere. One day, we shall find our rightful place," Chandelure agreed, joining his friend.

"We're keeping the Joltik and Sableye," Formora stated, crossing her arms. The ghosts could go free, as they weren't actually a threat, merely a nuisance.

"Do what you like with them. I thank you again for our battle. Perhaps one day we will meet again. Until then," Chandelure nodded.

"Farewell~" Gourgeist waved.

He and Gourgeist bowed, then left the dungeon.

Once they were gone, Formora turned to the remaining enemies. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head slowly as she slowly walked up to him.

"Oh Joltik, what were you thinking? You didn't _honestly_ think you could actually save your friends, did you? Especially with a _Shiny's_ help?"

"Please, have mercy!" the quivering idiot sobbed, like that would save him. HA.

"No," she smiled as she brought her fist down on one of his legs with all her might. There was a satisfying crunch, and an equally satisfying wail.

"Joltik!" the Sableye started to intervene, but was quickly shot down by Kia's Dragon Breath. Her teammates pinned the Shiny to the ground.

"M-monsters! All of you!" Joltik said through his tears.

"Is that supposed to hurt my feelings?" Formora asked as she broke another leg.

Once his screams started to cease, she shattered another one. And finally the last one. He fainted after the third time, much to her disappointment.

"Hmph, you're lucky you only have four legs for me to break," she snorted, turning her attention to the Sableye.

"You'll pay for this!" the Shiny snarled, struggling to break free of Kia and Firnen's grip.

"Will we, though? Will we _really_?" she chuckled as she landed a punch straight in his solar plexus. The Sableye let out a choked gasp and bent over as best as he could in his current position. His legs trembled, but to his credit they didn't give way.

"Please, continue to give me reasons to hurt you. I've forgotten just how much fun it was," she beamed at him.

"You won't get away with whatever it is you're doing," the Sableye obeyed.

She giggled, and pinched the inside of his elbows along major nerves. His arms spasmed and he screamed.

"As you wish! Come, I know an Eelektross who'll like you and Joltik very much…"

* * *

 **Sunset Beach Cliff**

This time, it was Formora who was early. She sat down at the edge of the cliff, looking up at the stars in the sky. There were countless numbers of them out tonight, lighting up the black blanket sky like little lighthouses.

She stared at the stars for a while, until eventually Glace arrived. From the Glaceon's body language, she was not in a good mood.

"What's wrong?" Formora asked.

"Hm? Oh. Nothing new. Had to put on my mask and pretend I'm happy, had to decline yet another idiot asking me out. I hate my life," Glace grumbled, flopping down on the ground and burying her head in her arms.

Formora put a comforting hand on Glace's back, and a thought came to her. "You know…you don't _have_ to keep going on like this."

"What do you mean?" Glace asked, peeking at her.

"You could join me. Join the Dark," Formora suggested.

Gkace's eyes went wide, and she stood. "You're joking."

"No, I'm not," Formora shook her head. "You're living a life of misery. Trust me, I know the feeling! And so do many of my coworkers. If you joined us, you wouldn't have to pretend anymore. You could be happy."

Glace looked down at the ground, her eyes darting back and forth.

"I…" she paused. "I'll need to think about it. I can't answer you right now."

"I completely understand. Take as much time as you need. Shall I see you tomorrow, at the usual time?"

"Um, yes. Yes, that'll be fine. I'll see you then," and with that, Glace leaped out of the dungeon.

Formora watched her go, then turned to look up at the sky for a few more minutes. Then, under the cover of moonlight, she too returned to her lodgings.

* * *

 **What** _ **is**_ **the plural of Pokemon names that end in 'y'? Skarmorys? Skitty? Diggersbies? I dunno..**

 **The next post will include: a most rash and dangerous decision by Formora. A post I am very excited about.**


	35. Chapter 35

**WARNING: GIANT POST AHEAD**

* * *

" **And would you three care to explain why you lost Xerneas?"** Lord Giratina was asking Team Ascension in the meeting room.

Early in the morning, the trio had been chasing after Xerneas, along with his sister Zygarde. The team had ceased their hunt prematurely, and now were being interrogated for it.

The trio shifted uncomfortably at being underneath their leader's disapproving gaze.

"We were right on his tail, but…" Elgyem trailed off.

"Then he and Zygarde entered the Deadlands," Roserade finished, staring at her feet.

A hushed silence fell over everyone.

"…Do you mean 'entered the Deadlands', or ' _entered the Deadlands'_ ," Miles asked nervously.

"The second one," Shuckle said in a small voice. Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Well, let's go after them, then!" Formora said when it was clear no one else would speak. She knew people had made it out of the Deadlands before; why couldn't it happen again?

Everyone stared at her like she was insane.

" **Formora, I will** _ **not**_ **risk the lives of my followers, even if it meant us forfeiting the war. I will not have people undergoing a suicide mission,** " Giratina shook his head.

"I can go. Miles, I'm fated to fight the Light Champion on top of Celestial Spire, right? Then that means I'll survive," Formora said reasonably.

"I…" Miles hesitated. "That's true, but…"

"But what of your team?" Kiora of Team Jacks said bluntly. "Miles said nothing of Kialandi and Firnen in his vision. You'll need them if you want to defeat Xerneas, and there's no guarantee _they'll_ survive."

"So I'll go alone. I've done solo missions before," Formora shrugged. Why was everyone making this more complicated than it was?

"That's not wise," Sorin shook his head.

Formora sighed angrily. "Look, there have been Pokemon who've made it out before, right? I'll just do what they did! What items do I need?"

After much arguing and deliberation, the group ultimately (but incredibly reluctantly), decided Formora would be the best candidate to go.

* * *

One team in the entire world had explored the Deadlands in its entirety. Their names were Emolga, Wartortle, and Bronzong of Team Spirit.

" _In our preparation for this unprecedented expedition, we deferred on what to bring with us. Plenty of food and water, obviously, for we had no idea if there would be any to find inside. Or, if we did, if any of it was safe for consumption. Considering the river outside, as well as the poisoned air surrounding the land, we thought it best to not eat or drink anything other than what we had brought with us. We put on Weather Bands, for we expected temperatures far beyond any found in the natural world. To combat against the poisoned air, we all wore gas masks. The masks filtered out most of the poison, but for a few days after our journey we twitched occasionally. We tested the first two floors of the Deadlands before we made our proper expedition. As we expected, the floor is fragile, and prone to falling away given enough force. We brought along special goggles that detected changes in pressure, as we were walking through an unstable volcano. Those goggles more than anything else saved our lives many,_ many _times. In the latter half of the dungeon, which we dubbed 'the Land of Eternal Fire', geysers of magma would erupt seemingly at random, always in the direction we were heading. Whether this was coincidence or the doings of some unknown force, we weren't sure,"_ Miles read a passage from their book as the employees of Dungeon Alley outfitted Formora for the trip.

Team Spirit later revealed that there was no food of any kind inside the Deadlands. Traps were quite common, and the trio recommended bringing plenty of Gravelrocks to check each step. Once they had hit the Waypoint, they had to send Wartortle back to the entrance. As Emolga put it:

" _Expect frequent earthquakes that break most of the floor at best, or_ all _of it at worst. We usually experienced the latter. Magma would rise almost to the ceiling, where we were forced to hover there in relative safety. Bronzong held Wartortle aloft with Psychic while I flew, but we agreed this was not a suitable strategy. We did not want to put Wartortle's life in the hands of Bronzong's stamina and focus. Any who enter the Deadlands (and especially the Land of Eternal Fire) must either have wings, Levitate, Psychic, or a partner who can carry heavy objects for long periods of time. Any landbound Pokemon is doomed otherwise."_

"I will go too," Kia said quietly once Miles had finished reading. "I can carry Formora should the floor break. And by the sound of it, it will eventually."

"Kia, that's insane!" Firnen exclaimed, blood draining from his face.

"It's not because I _want_ to! I _have_ to!You're landbound, and I cannot carry you for very long! If the floor breaks, Formora _will_ fall into magma. I can fly, and she weighs less than you. I…will be careful. I will study this book inside and out," Kia returned, taking the book from Miles and reading it intensely.

Formora beamed. "Thank you for coming with me! I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. Now, get items for Kia too."

After much deliberation, Kia and Formora were outfitted with Weather Bands (replacing their usual scarves), gas masks, and the goggles Team Spirit spoke of. Their bag was jam-packed with Gravelrocks, food, salve for burns, berries, and seeds of all kind. Luminous and Escape Orbs were donated a-plenty. Formora and Kia were given canteens filled to the brim with water, thus completing the preparations.

"You're _sure_ you're both doing this? We can just wait for Xerneas outside where it's safe!" Firnen fretted, following the duo as they left the base.

"I want to see the Deadlands for myself. Besides, Xerneas won't be expecting anyone to follow him and Zygarde. I want this to be his downfall," Formora shrugged.

Firnen only groaned.

* * *

 **The Deadlands ( watch?v=AQkwSCYiMv8)**

The hellish nightscape was still as she remembered it. The layout outside was flat, gray, and completely lifeless. Nothing but dirt blanketed the hot, poisoned ground. The air was arid, and had a faint sweetish taste to it. There was a river nearby, but no water ran through its streams. Instead, the blood-red castoff from decades of overmining trudged slowly through the land, killing any who was stupid enough to drink from it. Honestly, any who did deserved the slow, agonizing death that came soon after.

"Don't do it. _Please,_ " Firnen said for the millionth time on the way here.

"I am. Shut up," Formora replied for the millionth time.

He stood at the edge of the Deadlands, where the lifeless gray gave way to healthy green. He paced back and forth, wringing his hands with tears in his eyes and a miserable look on his face.

"You're _going to die_. _Why_ are you doing this?!" Firnen demanded as the duo ate a brief lunch.

"Because I'm _not_ letting Xerneas get away this time. I know I'm going to survive, so I'm obviously the best candidate for this job," Formora replied, taking a long drink of water from her canteen. She wasn't sure when she'd get the chance again.

"Or maybe you survive because you turn back?" Kia piped up hopefully, darting nervously through the air.

Formora only snorted, and began putting on her pressure-detecting goggles, then gas mask. While the air outside was safe enough as long as one didn't linger, she wasn't taking any chances. "Well, I'm off. You coming or not, Kia?"

Kia groaned, but reluctantly did the same. "I'll…be of use against the fire-types…"

"That's the spirit," Formora said, finishing her preparations. "See you in a bit, Firnen. If you see anyone, knock them out."

"Come back," was all the Fraxure could say.

Without looking back, Formora began the walk to the dungeon entrance. It took her and Kia ten minutes, but eventually they arrived.

The dungeon entrance wasn't anything special; it was just a ramshackle old stone hut at the base of the volcano, which loomed ominously in the distance.

"My Lady—" Kia began, but before he could say the same Arceusdamned thing again, she took his arm, and pulled him inside.

 **B1F**

According to the temperature meter on her goggles, it was now 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Formora was very grateful for the homeo-whatever-balancing effects of the Weather Band, otherwise she would have immediately passed out from the heat. She certainly _felt_ the cloying blanket of warmth all around, but it didn't have any effect on her body.

She looked around, fascinated by what lay inside these lethal corridors. The walls were red and pockmarked like a honeycomb. Blood-red water dripped from some of the holes, and Formora made sure to give them a wide berth. The floor was a lifeless, dull gray, but there were a couple of spots that looked ominously like bloodstains. Similarly-colored boulders were scattered around, and Formora noted with some dismay that there were cracks in the floor. Some were small, only the size of an orange, but others were as wide as an Electrode. They'd have to tread carefully if they didn't want to collapse the floor. There were also holes they had to watch out for. Each was big enough to swallow both of them, and when Formora peered down one she saw the orange glow of magma below.

She spotted something yellow in the corner, and upon inspection it turned out to be what looked like the aged tibia of something that had once been humanoid, and around her size. She straightened. This bone right here was a grim reminder that not _once_ should they relax their guard. One wrong step, the slightest mistake, could send Kia right to his death. Of course, Formora had no worry of oblivion, but there was no guarantee that she'd make it out unscathed. Burns would be a very real threat here, as status effects were beyond the Weather Band's protection.

"Going to die going to die going to die," Kia was muttering beside her, his legs and wings trembling.

"You will if you keep blubbering on like that. We're here now, so you might as well make an effort to live," Formora told him unsympathetically. He could have chosen to not go with her at any point during their travel here.

Kia moaned, but her words seemed to have an effect.

"I threw away the Escape Orbs, by the way," she added conversationally, taking out a Luminous Orb and breaking it.

"WHAT?! WHY would you do that?!" Kia screamed, looking at her in utmost horror.

She shrugged. "I wanted to give myself a reason to fight if I ever got in trouble. I _thrive_ on pushing myself to the absolute limit. Look, if you want to leave, just follow me to the Waypoint. I won't stop you."

Kia trembled, weeping silently.

"I never should have agreed to come," he said miserably as he followed her to the Stairs.

The only exit lay due south, so that was where the two headed. It was slow going, as Formora always threw a Gravelrock down on the ground to check for traps. As they passed through the short hall, into a small chamber, and further south, Formora saw more bones scattered around. Some were tiny, barely bigger than her finger, and others were taller than her. Many Pokemon had perished here, due to either foolhardiness or unwariness. She resolved to not let Kia's remains join them.

The next room was guarded by a Muk. Its face was grim, and there was a sort of gunky perspiration rolling down its face. It might not have a problem with the air, but it certainly did not like the heat! It was jittery, shuffling around constantly. Perhaps the floor was too hot for it to handle?

The ground below it groaned underneath its weight, and cracks began to spiral outward. Formora and Kia stepped backwards, eyeing the unstable floor warily.

A dark purple glob of sludge formed around the Muk. It jumped in the air, then hurled its Sludge Wave down at Formora. She vanished into the wall as Kia flew back even further. The attack landed harmlessly on the ground, but the Muk wasn't as lucky.

Its impact as it landed provided the force needed to break the floor. It crumbled away, sending the Muk down into whatever lay below. Formora tensed, but the rest of the floor did not break. There was a six-foot gap in the path, but the rest of the place was unscathed.

Tentatively, she and Kia peered down into the hole. Magma bubbled hungrily about ten feet deep. There would be no respawn for the Muk.

Not even the dungeon Pokemon were safe. They lived brief, meaningless lives, then died.

Chilled by the thought, she and Kia jumped the gap.

To their relief, the next chamber held the Stairs.

 **B2F**

The ground began shaking a second after they had arrived on the second floor. Kia was unharmed, Levitating in the air, but Formora was thrown to the ground by the quakes. After a moment things settled down, but a loud grating noise came from within the floor.

"Heads up!" Kia cried, grabbing onto Formora and lifting her as the entire floor crumbled away.

The rock withered from within, and fell silently into the magma chambers that lay deep underneath the floor. Each piece caused the liquid to gurgle hungrily…and then the magma level began climbing

" _Higher!_ " Formora screamed at Kia as boiling magma rose to greet them.

Kia pumped his wings until they were practically on the ceiling. The level rose higher and higher, until it was only a few meters away from them.

It stayed there for a few seconds, then the magma drained itself from the dungeon until it was back at its original level. Slowly, cautiously, Kia lowered himself from the ceiling.

"Ah…can you carry me like that for the rest of the floor?" Formora asked nervously, looking down. If she fell out of Kia's grasp…

No. No. She wouldn't fall. She knew that. But to be just a slip away from death…

"For a little while," Kia grimaced. "I'm not used to carrying others."

"Can you hand me a Luminous Orb? Now's definitely the time to use one," Formora asked.

He used his other two arms to give the orb to her. She threw it against the wall, and suddenly the layout of the floor appeared in her mind. Strangely, she didn't see any red dots on the map.

"There aren't any enemies," she reported, puzzled.

"I am not complaining, especially in our current situation. Can you direct me to the Stairs?" Kia requested, a slight hitch appearing in his voice.

As Formora led him through the halls, she saw that the entire floor was destroyed either by the earthquake, the magma flood, or both. She surmised that was what happened to the enemies, and would happen to any who were unfortunate enough to spawn.

 **B3F**

Fortunately, the duo weren't too badly hurt from carefully treading down the Stairs. Their skin was blistered from being so close to the magma, but that was what the burn salve was for. After applying vigorously to the worst areas, they decided to head west.

Kia and Formora forgot one crucial detail, however. And that was that traps were quite common in this hellish place.

Formora took a step, and heard the unmistakable _click_ of a trap being activated.

"Uh oh," she said, looking down, before plunging into darkness.

 **B4F**

She landed quite roughly on the ground and got the wind knocked out of her for it. She lay there for a moment, too stunned to move. Well, all bruises aside, that Pitfall Trap had done her a favor and brought her closer to the end.

Underneath her, however, she heard the ground begin to crack.

She jumped to her feet quickly as the floor below crumbled away. She fell, screaming, her hands scrabbling for anything, _anything_ to hold on to.

"Gotcha!" she heard Kia yell as he caught her.

He carried her away from the hole, which was localized to her zone of impact. He set her down gently, breathing heavily. Formora sat down, staring at the hole in the ground.

"Thank you," she said in a faint voice.

"If we make it to the Waypoint, we _must_ turn back! This is madness! We've already pushed our luck too far! It _will_ run out, Formora!" Kia insisted, settling down next to her.

She shook her head, standing. "If you really want to turn back, go ahead. But I'll keep going. I'm not afraid of this place, Kia. I've no need to be. True, we've both had some close calls, but don't you find this _exhilarating?_ We're cheating death, Kia! We'll be among the few who braved these halls and survived! Won't it be great?"

A vein appeared in Kia's forehead, and after a long moment he sighed.

"Nothing I say will convince you, will it?"

"About time you realized. I've no intentions on letting you get killed, so don't worry. Now come on before another earthquake breaks the floor again," Formora grumbled, taking out some Gravelrocks and a Luminous Orb.

She began tossing them in front of her before each step, testing to see if there were any traps lying in wait. Some she could easily handle, like Chestnut Traps or Gust Traps. But others, like Trip Traps or Explosion Traps, could do them great harm. Better safe than sorry.

As they slowly made their way through the halls, battling foes and avoiding hazards, Formora noted that she saw no seeds, berries, or anything that could be ingested. This was nothing new; the book Team Spirit had written had been very clear on that. There were no Escape Orbs, Kecleon Shops, or Secret Bazaars either, but again, that was expected. There was no food in the Deadlands, and there was no escape, either. Helpful items such as Pecha Scarves and Luminous Orbs wouldn't appear either.

There were fewer and fewer remains of those who'd died the farther they went. It made sense; most came unprepared, and the Deadlands were quick to impress upon them their fatal flaws.

But Formora would not join those on display here. She was meant to survive.

 **B5F**

The Stairs were in the room they arrived in. After checking the path for traps, they descended.

 **B6F**

"Ah, almost there to the W—augh!" Formora grunted, having been interrupted by what felt like a Sludge Bomb.

She turned to see a Weezing looming menacingly over her.

"Oh. Is that all?" Formora asked, throwing Shadow Ball at it.

It ducked underneath the attack, then spat another Bomb at her.

The gooey globs pelted her mercilessly, and she was forced to take a few steps back to keep herself upright.

 _Click_ , went something underneath her.

"Wonderful," she sighed as sticky goo sprung from the trap. It sprayed her, Kia, and the Weezing, covering them all in a stinky green slime.

It got all over their bag, seeping right through the fabric. Cursing, Formora ignored her misfortune momentarily to pummel the laughing Weezing with Shadow Ball.

"A little help here?!" she demanded as the Weezing Self-Destructed.

Formora flinched as the shockwave from the blast hit her, but it wasn't that powerful against her. The attack left the Weezing incredibly weak, so Kia finally did his job and finished it off with Feint Attack.

Now that the fight was over, the duo cleaned the slime from the Sticky Trap from themselves and the bag as best they could. Unfortunately, the gunk had gotten all over a few of their Luminous Orbs, making them impossible to use.

Formora threw the useless orbs into a nearby hole in the ground **,** and decided to head west. They passed through the next few halls and chambers without too much trouble, and they soon found the room with the Stairs.

Their exit lay behind an angry Magcargo, who didn't seem like the type to let them pass. It closed its eyes, probably emptying its mind for Amnesia. Once it finished, it opened its mouth for an attack.

"Not today, friend," Kia said, throwing a Warp Seed into the Magcargo's mouth.

It swallowed with a look of surprise on its face, and a second later it was teleported to another part of the floor.

With that out of the way, they were free to descend.

 **B7F**

Upon arrival, they spotted a Magmortar nearby. It paid them no mind, as it was too busy choking on something. Its eyes were bloodshot, and it clutched feebly at its throat.

"The air, I expect," Kia murmured beside her, watching the Pokemon.

"Hm," Formora said tonelessly. The two watched the Magmortar spend its last few moments in agony, until finally it fell gracelessly to the floor, and vanished.

The show now over, Team R got moving. They scoured the entire floor, finding traps galore and enemies that either perished at their hand or by the dungeon's, but no Stairs.

Eventually, the two paused after exploring the entire floor.

"Where are the Stairs? There's _always_ Stairs!" Formora demanded.

Kia brought out the book Team Sprit had written on the Deadlands.

"Ah, here we go," he said after a few minutes of skimming. " _'We found that the Deadlands likes to play tricks on its inhabitants. Occasionally, we would search an entire floor and find no evidence of Stairs. But evil as it is, the Deadlands still follows dungeon rules. We eventually found the Stairs, neatly hidden inside one of the many spires that grew from the floor. Why this is, we do not know. The Deadlands feed on the pain and suffering of its victims. It is possible that such a trick as hiding the Stairs is to leech the hope off of any who seek to conquer it, until the victim either finds the Stairs or dies from one of the many hazards plaguing this nightmare._ '"

"Fun," Formora commented.

The duo went back, checking any stalagmite they came across. Finally, Kia found a spire that was shaped like an inverted cone. As they suspected, the Stairs were hidden on top.

 **B8F**

It was incredibly slow, having to throw a Gravelrock before each step. It was tedious, boring, but an absolute necessity. No good things were found in this dungeon, so every precaution was the difference between life and Kia's death.

Alas, one such Gravelrock happened to fall on an Explosion Trap.

Formora and Kia jumped backwards as the blast broke a hole in the floor. Thankfully, the hole didn't spread, and the duo weren't overly hurt.

"If I make it out alive, I'm going to see a therapist," Kia muttered, flying behind Formora so he could recover as they walked down a hall.

Formora laughed, but it quickly turned into a shout as a Monster House fell from the ceiling in the next room they came to.

Five Salandits, three Camerupts, a Magcargo, two Weezings, and a Magmar landed forcefully onto the floor, causing the entire thing to crack. By some miracle, the floor remained intact.

"Great. Let's head the other way," Formora grumbled.

"No can do. Magmortar at six o'clock," Kia reported, looking behind him.

Formora groaned, and as the foes drew closer she got an idea. "Kia! Use Earth Power!"

"What?! It would surely break the floor!" he protested.

Formora nodded. "Exactly! It would get rid of this Monster House, and you can just fly me to the other side! It'll save us a lot of time."

Kia didn't look entirely convinced, but he did as she bade. He summoned a large crack in the center of the room, and the enemies (minus the Weezings) were bathed in a golden light.

The rift he made caused the floor to crumble, until the entire floor of the room was gone. Kia scooped up Formora and held her aloft as the ground beneath them gave way to magma. The enemies in the room fell helplessly to their deaths, and Kia flew them across the gap right as the Magmortar reached them.

It hurled a Lava Plume at them, but Kia easily flew out of the way. He set Formora down once he reached the other side of the room, which remained unbroken.

"Hah, there we go. Now then, where were we?" Formora said, brushing herself off.

The next room, as it turned out, held the Stairs.

 **B9F**

Fortunately, the last floor of the Deadlands held no danger for Formora and Kia. The duo had arrived in the Stair room.

— **Waypoint—**

They'd made it.

They had made it through the Deadlands, and lived. Now they had to pass through the inner core, the Land of Eternal Fire.

Though they were now at the Waypoint, there was no chance of resting here. More cracks spiraled around the floor, and the temperature had noticeably increased.

The floor around the Kangaskhan Statue had collapsed, and the Statue itself was half-submerged in magma, burning a neon red. To touch it would mean agony, and _lots_ of it.

"Okay, okay, we made it. Now _please_ , Formora, let's just turn back!" the antsy Kia begged, flying haphazardly.

"You can. I'm still going after Xerneas," Formora shrugged, briefly taking off her mask to bolt down an apple.

"How do you even know he's still here?!"

"Look," she pointed. In the corner was a flower, rapidly withering to dust. It was the only sign of plant life in this hellhole, and only one Pokemon could have caused it to grow.

"If you want to go back, I understand. You can guard the entrance with Firnen," she continued, not looking back as she moved into the inner core.

 **The Land of Eternal Fire ( watch?v=V5g2UlANTBw)**

 **B1F**

Yup, Formora was immeasurably glad for the Weather Bands now. The temperature reading on her goggles now read a whopping _370 degrees Fahrenheit_. She shuddered at the thought of being in here without her Weather Band. Team Spirit had said that traps were a very real threat in this part; she would need to avoid Trip Traps at all costs.

The walls were now a blood-red color, with scorch marks all over the place. Spiderweb cracks spanned most of the floor, even into the halls. Pools of water were spotted sporadically by the walls. Some looked perfectly healthy, others looked like the river outside. Boulders still dotted the landscape, and the walls were a deep maroon. Jagged spikes jutted out sporadically from the sides, and some of the tips were stained black. Woe betide the Pokemon who accidentally impaled themselves onto a spike.

To her utmost surprise, Kia was with her. He looked absolutely _miserable_ , but…

"I…will go on. My life…is inconsequential…compared to yours," he said quietly.

She smiled at him, and put an arm around his shoulder. "Thank you for coming with me, really. I'll make sure nothing happens to you. Keep your guard up, and let us tread carefully."

Alas, she failed to follow her own advice. The very first step she took triggered a Grimy Trap. Purple grime sprang from the trap, settling all over the bag.

"Dammit," Formora cursed under her breath as they paused to look at the damage.

Luckily, most of their food was safe. Only about ¼ of their food had turned to Grimy Food. Kia raised an eyebrow at her.

"Shut up," she said, blushing angrily, as she threw a Gravelrock beyond the trap.

The Gravelrock struck the floor—and broke it. The floor crumbled, and Formora's goggles flashed a bright red warning across her field of vision.

"GET AWAY!" she screamed, tackling Kia away from the hole.

The ground rumbled, then a large spurt of magma shot up from the broken spot. The force of the blast broke more of the surrounding floor, and Formora felt herself being pulled to her feet by Kia. They ran the opposite direction, straight into the arms of a Camerupt.

It wasn't entirely focused on the two of them, however. Its eyes were bloodshot, and it was coughing and trembling.

Formora risked a peek behind her, and saw that the geyser seemed to have settled down.

The Camerupt tried to run towards them—probably for Take Down—but its legs gave out as soon as it tried to take a step.

Kia and Formora exchanged a glance, and put the Camerupt out of its misery.

Strangely, the end of the hall was blocked by stalagmites and stalactites. She could see into the room beyond, see the Stairs that lay inside, but neither could squeeze past the tightly-packed spikes.

"One sec," she told Kia as she merely phased through the spikes with no problem. "Hand me some Gravelrocks?"

 **B2F**

A Weezing was waiting for them when they arrived. Its skin was turning black for some reason, and it looked to be in great distress. Nevertheless, its personal discomforts did not deter it from doing its duty. It expelled a giant Sludge Bomb at them.

Formora had a feeling that the floor would collapse if she dodged and allowed it to hit the ground, so instead she neutralized it with Shadow Ball. The resounding explosion was large, but not enough to shatter the floor.

Her goggles then flashed a warning underneath the Weezing, and she realized the floor was going to break no matter what.

She and Kia retreated from the Weezing as a magma geyser erupted where it floated. A few meters of the surrounding area were broken, but the geyser stayed local. Once it died, there was no sign of the Weezing.

Kia let out a sigh of relief, but it was too soon. The floor rumbled, and began to crumble away, starting from the hole and going outward.

They ran down a hall and into the next chamber, right into a Salandit. The little thing cackled, no doubt thinking up a Nasty Plot.

It lunged at Formora, but Kia jumped in front of her and caught it in his arms.

"Throw it," Formora said, and he tossed the foe high into the air.

She aimed her Shadow Ball carefully, and sniped it as it fell. It landed right into a spike jutting out from the wall.

It gave a choked gasp, and vanished. The spike it had been impaled on was now covered in its blood.

Unnerved, Kia and Formora moved on. After a few short halls and another magma geyser, they came across the Stairs.

 **B3F**

So far, they had lost 17 Gravelrocks to the floor crumbling away at the touch. Team R had plenty more, but it was rather daunting to have lost so many, and they were only on B3F.

On the plus side, they had arrived in the Stair room.

 **B4F**

The moment they arrived on the floor, Formora's goggles flashed a warning directed at a spot near one of two northern exits. Not a second later, a magma geyser erupted, taking most of the floor with it.

Formora and Kia sprinted for the only other exit, which lay west. Formora triggered a Sticky Trap along the way, but neither of them cared at the moment. All they wanted was to get as far away from the broken floor as possible.

Fortunately, only the floor in the room was taken out. The geyser settled down, and for the time being Formora and Kia were as safe as they could be in this nightmare.

They only had about five seconds to relax, for another tremor rolled through the dungeon. Once it had ceased, Kia grabbed Formora and flew towards the ceiling as the magma lake began rising.

"Look!" she shouted, pointing down the hall. She could see the Stairs in the next room, but they were blocked off by spikes. "Head for the Stairs! I can make it!"

Kia flew as fast as he could with her in his grasp. Once he was close enough, he tossed her underhand towards the pillars. She phased through them harmlessly, and leaped for the Stairs as the magma level reached eleven inches, seeping into the Stairs.

She threw herself into the center of the Stairs, feeling her sides be singed by the heat as she fell.

 **B5F**

She didn't care. She'd made it! The skin along her sides was blistering, but who cared?!

"Hate this place _SO MUCH_ ," Kia muttered beside her, shivering.

"Ah, but we are almost through!" Formora laughed, giddy at the near-death experience. Oh, how she loved cheating death!

She would have skipped merrily though the dungeon, but the danger was too great. She was forced to test each step ahead of her with a Gravelrock. She found a Trip Trap that way, and carefully avoided it.

The duo headed south, then east. The room they came to housed a Magmortar, who was not pleased at their intrusion.

It roared, charging at them with its arm outstretched. The hand burst into flame, and every step it took made the floor give a warning groan.

"Send it away!" Formora shouted, not wanting to be near that Fire Punch nor the Magmortar when the floor inevitably collapsed.

Together, she and Kia sent it stumbling backwards with Shadow Ball and Dragon Breath. The fiery foe took a few steps backward—straight into a Self-destruct Trap.

Neither of them even needed their goggles to tell them to _get the hell away_. The resulting explosion broke the floor, sending a wall of magma straight for them.

"RUN!" Formora screamed, turning and sprinting for the hall they'd come from. But that exit was now mysteriously blocked by spikes. She screamed her frustration, and instead they skirted the edge of the geyser and headed east.

The magma wall followed, as if purposely hunting them down. The duo ran as fast as they could down the hall, but came to an end blocked by spikes.

"Break through!" she snapped at Kia. _She_ could escape the flames, but he couldn't!

They pummeled the pillars with Shadow Ball and Sonic Boom until they created a space wide enough for Kia to squeeze through. The magma wall was almost upon them, and they hurried though the hole.

The magma wall settled down after obliterating the spikes, allowing the duo to escape. After watching the magma lake gurgle below for a few wary seconds, Kia and Formora turned to find an exit.

They instead saw a Magcargo in the far corner next to the only other exit, spasming uncontrollably and frothing at the mouth. It didn't seem to notice them, so they tiptoed carefully around it (Formora tried to throw the Gravelrocks as gently as she could so as not to alert it) and left the room.

Thankfully, the hall led directly to the Stairs.

 **B6F**

When they arrived, Formora spotted a flower burnt to a crisp right next to the Stairs. She moved on immediately. The flower's presence meant they were close, and that Xerneas had passed not long ago.

 **B7F**

Their starting room as well as the first room held nothing of interest for them. A Gravelrock revealed a Trip Trap, which they gave a wide, wide berth. The hall after that was guarded by a Weezing, who was defeated with no particular difficulty. A magma geyser killed it after it tried to hit Kia with Sludge Bomb.

Formora jumped easily over the new gap, and in the next room they found…something.

Something that was once solid lay in a puddle by one of the exits. The outside of it was charred black, and when Formora poked it with part of a spire that she broke off, she found purple underneath the black. The mass shivered, and Formora stepped back apprehensively. But whatever the thing was, it wasn't in any shape to fight. Formora poked it again, and found a white eye staring lifelessly underneath a blackened lid.

"Oh. A Muk," she said, realizing what this thing used to be. "The heat must have cooked it."

Kia shuddered, and the duo moved on, unnerved by the remains of the dungeon foe.

In the next room, they had two choices. They could go east, or north. As they mulled it over, a Salandit entered from the northern exit.

It spotted them, and with a hiss began slinking towards them. Formora prepared a Shadow Ball, then her goggles flashed a bright red warning in front of her.

"Back!" Kia shouted as they stepped away from the spot the goggles were pointing at.

Not a moment too soon, a wall of magma erupted from the floor, completely separating the duo from the Salandit.

"Come on, let's go while it's trapped," Formora said, urging Kia down the eastern path.

The hall led to a small room with a spire jutting out directly in the center. Something seemed off about it, and Formora realized there was no spike at the end. Just a pillar of rock.

"Hey, check out the top, would you?" she asked, getting a hunch.

Kia did, and reported that the Stairs were hidden atop the pillar.

 **B8F**

Upon arrival, they saw that no foes or magma geysers were waiting for them. The only exit lay due west, and led to a tiny chamber with a giant spike towards the northeast corner. Formora checked the top, but was disappointed to find no Stairs cleverly hidden. They headed south after that, rounding a sharp corner where they encountered a Salandit, which was defeated with no trouble. A magma geyser tried to kill them as they continued down the hall, but a timely warning from their goggles ensured that the duo weren't melted where they stood.

The next room help no enemies, so once again Formora carefully checked each step with a Gravelrock. The fifth check yielded a Pitfall Trap being uncovered.

"Don't activate it," Kia begged, sensing Formora's intentions. "We barely survived the last one, and that was _before_ we entered the Land of Eternal Fire. If you break the floor, you'll surely set off a geyser and die."

"No I won't," she dismissed, but stepped away from the trap. He did have a point, though the object of concern should have been himself rather than her.

So on they went, down a short little T-shaped hall that tried to kill them with a geyser. Yet again Formora and Kia were saved by the warnings from their goggles, and instead of death all they received was a little bit of blistered skin from the heat (though the hall they had come from was again blocked by spikes that had not been there previously; they'd been forced down the other path).

 _Totally_ worth it.

The room that lay at the end of the hall had multiple spikes growing along the walls. There was also a Magmar noticing their arrival, but after their gazillionth near-death experience, it wasn't that daunting.

Formora and Kia fanned out, surrounding the Magmar on both sides. The Spitfire Pokemon looked back and forth at them, then ultimately decided to charge Formora with Fire Punch. She evaded easily, ever alert for another repeat of B5F. The floor didn't break, which was an unexpected relief, and she walloped her enemy with a Shadow Ball to its left kneecap.

The Magmar groaned and buckled underneath the strength of her attack. Its bad leg crumbled, and it lay on its one good knee. It was too easy for Kia to pummel it with Sonic Boom. Formora threw another Shadow Ball at it, and Kia swooped in for a finishing blow.

But the Magmar still had some fight in it, and right before Kia was able to land Feint Attack, it spat a volley of Flame Burst right into his face.

Kia screamed as the flames licked at his skin. He scrabbled at his face, but most of it was covered by his mask. The mask had shielded him from the majority of the blast, but the skin around it and underneath the edges was fair game.

The force sent him stumbling backwards, and the Magmar nailed him once more with another volley. Kia was launched further back, and let out a choked gasp of pain as he crashed into the wall.

"Kia!" Formora shouted, quickly ending the Magmar with Shadow Ball.

She ran over, fearing the worst. But Kia's vital organs were just fine. It was only the tip of his tail that had been punctured, right in one of the rhombuses on the side.

"You look a little like a shish kabob," she observed, helping him off the spike. Fortunately, while Formora could now see the ground through the hole in Kia's tail, said hole was barely an inch in diameter. He'd caught the spike with the very last of his momentum.

" _THIS. REALLY._ _HURTS_ ," he screamed through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, yeah. Eat this and hold still," Formora said, handing him an Oran Berry while she took out the bandages from their pack. She wasn't sure what poisoned air did to open wounds, but she'd rather not find out. She carefully wrapped the bandages around the injured…whatever the rhombuses on his tail were. Wings, maybe? Whatever.

Kia ate quickly, and replaced his mask as soon as he'd eaten the last bite.

"How's that?" Formora asked.

He grimaced, and shook his tail experimentally. "Hurts like hell, but I think I'll manage. I certainly do not wish to fly for very long. I'll just…need to fight a bit more carefully."

"We're almost at the end," Formora reassured.

The floor was beginning to crack, so Formora and Kia quickly moved out of the room. They encountered a Magcargo in the next hall they came to, and a combined Sonic Boom and Shadow Ball had it falling into a nearby pool of water. The water looked perfectly sterile and healthy, but the duo were well aware of the false nature of it.

The next room held the Stairs, and they descended just as the ground started to rumble.

 **B9F**

The shaking stopped by the time they came to the last floor. There was a burnt Gold Ribbon lying in the corner, but the duo ignored it. Money was the last thing on their mind. The only exit lay east, and the end of that hall was blocked off by columns. They could see lots of orbs on the other side. Formora phased through, then helped Kia create a hole big enough for him to squeeze through.

"Oh no," she heard Kia say, and Formora turned to see multiple Pokemon falling from the ceiling.

"Monster House!" she yelled as three Salandits, two Magcargos, a Magmortar, four Weezings, and a Camerupt ambushed them.

All of them landed forcefully right onto a large crack in the floor. More lines spiraled outward, then without warning the entire floor in the room collapsed.

Formora screamed as Kia grabbed hold of her arms. The other Pokemon had no lifeline, and one by one they fell directly into the magma below. The magma hissed angrily as the bodies plunged into it.

That wasn't the end, however. The remaining floor rumbled, then began breaking into pieces and falling into the lake, until every last bit of the floor that Formora could see was completely gone.

"Ergh! This is hurting my tail," Kia grimaced, putting more effort into keeping himself and Formora aloft.

"Let's go. Maybe the floor reappears somewhere," Formora urged, staring warily into the red-hot death that lay just a few meters below.

Slowly and carefully, Kia flew down the next hall. To their dismay as they traveled through the dungeon, the entire floor seemed to have crumbled completely. The good news was that they no longer had to worry about enemies. The bad news was that Kia's wound plus carrying Formora was costing him dearly. His breathing was ragged, and inch by inch Formora came closer and closer to the magma.

Her goggles gave a warning shriek, pointing directly below.

"GO!" she shouted.

Taking a deep breath, Kia pumped his wings as hard as he could down the corridor, just as a geyser gushed right where they had been a second ago. Formora felt a wave of burning heat cascade over her, and she screamed from the agony.

Kia screamed too, as part of his wing had been singed from the heat. He faltered, and began falling steadily toward the lake.

Formora looked ahead, and saw a silver glint in the room up ahead.

"Kia! The Stairs! They're in the next room!" she shouted at him.

He looked, and with a ragged breath he used the last of his strength to bring them down the hall and into the room. The Stairs remained relatively unharmed amidst the magma. Of course, magma was seeping down the steps, but the middle remained safe enough.

Kia's strength failed, and he and Formora fell directly down the Stairs.

 **Hell's Core**

They survived, though both had burns from being so close to the magma as well as scrapes from falling down the Stairs. They put salve on their burns and bandages on their wounds, and looked around.

They'd arrived near the peak of the volcano, where even from their spot on the ground they could hear the angry murmur of lava bubbling inside the wretched mountain. Little spigots flowed freely from cracks in the rock, and there were small pools of lava scattered haphazardly around the landscape. _551 degrees Fahrenheit,_ read Formora's goggles. Tall mesas towered over them, the shade from their shadows giving Team R the briefest of respites from the heat. Overhead, dark clouds were beginning to form, blocking out the sun.

Formora looked up warily, for Team Spirit had warned that acid rain was not uncommon. The clouds looked like they were some time away from unleashing their deadly downpour, but even still, she had no desire to linger.

"Look," Kia whispered in her ear, pointing.

Up ahead, she saw two figures standing atop a small mesa, looking down into the volcano. One was black and green and shaped like a Z, while the other was blue and had antlers.

Zygarde and Xerneas.

"Let's get them," Formora said, marching up the path.

The path was broken in many places by past earthquakes and lava waves, but it was still traversable. Formora carefully picked her way up the mountain until she was near the two legendaries.

They heard her coming, and turned.

It was a wonder both were still alive. While both wore Weather Bands, they didn't have goggles or even a gas mask! How had they gotten through the dungeon?!

Xerneas cocked his head. "Zy, I think the air's finally getting to me. I'm seeing things."

"You are fine, for we see them too. We are surprised anyone would follow us through here, especially a Froslass of all Pokemon," Zygarde responded.

Her voice was calm, but it sounded like two of her were speaking at the same time.

"Hello, Xerneas," Formora growled.

His eyebrows shot towards the sky. "Ice girl! Or is it Mummy Girl now? You and your friends—nice masks by the way, love the way they contour your faces—actually _followed_ us here?! Huh, and I thought Yveltal was crazy."

"This is Team Renegade? But we thought there was a Fraxure with them," Zygarde said, puzzled.

"Oh, is he playing Hide-and-Seek? Ooh! Can I play? I'll count to 32.6!" Xerneas brightened.

"He's guarding the entrance in case you happen to run. There's no escape," Formora said mildly, crossing her arms.

Xerneas snorted. "Our last battle said otherwise."

She ignored him, and faced Zygarde. "Hello, Zygarde. My name is Formora, the Champion of Darkness. You've heard of me from your brother, I assume. I was told you want no part in our struggle for the fate of the universe. Why, then, are you here with him? And why do you refer to yourself as 'we', when I only see one of you?"

"You hear us, the mind of Zygarde. We are female, and together we are many in the body of one. It is our job to maintain balance in the land. _His_ doings have unraveled our work time and time again. Your side is causing harm to the world, which we cannot allow. The Deadlands are the biggest affront to us, so we and Xerneas are here to fix it. We've no want for quarrel with you. We only wish to restore balance to this pitiful place," Zygarde pleaded.

"I don't really care what you do, as long as you allow us to take Xerneas back to _You Know Who_ ," Formora shrugged. Zygarde's explanation of herself—themselves?—made no sense, but if she said she was female, she was female.

"We cannot allow that either, we are afraid. Our brother is much too important in our life's work to let you harm him. Turn back, and we will not stop you. But if you resist…we will have no choice but to retaliate," Zygarde shook her head.

"I'd love to see you try," Formora chuckled.

* * *

 **Boss battle! (** **watch?v=Xy_-7OXophY)**

 **Weather Condition: Cloudy**

Xerneas and Zygarde jumped down from the edge of the volcano, meeting Team R on equal ground. The ground shook under the weight of their impact, and Formora's goggles flashed a warning towards a spot in front of their foes.

Zygarde seemed to sense it too, for she warned Xerneas to stay back. A large fountain of lava spewed from the ground, taking most of that part of the path with it. The geyser settled down after a moment, and Xerneas was nowhere to be seen.

"Wha—where'd he go?!" Formora demanded, looking all over.

"He said something about needing a cookie break before a fight. Will we suffice?" Zygarde answered wryly.

"Of course! Bring it, legendary," Formora snarled, hurling her Ice Beam at Zygarde.

The bulky legendary was too slow to move out of the way, and she let out a sharp cry upon being hit. Formora's ice-type moves were doubly effective against her, so this fight shouldn't be that hard.

"Ah, you are strong! We've no wish to be frozen, though, so we shall remedy that," Zygarde said grimly, a gentle blue aura outlining her. Formora only smiled. Safeguard or no, Zygarde was still going down.

Formora threw another Ice Beam, but Zygarde weaved out of the way. Kia flew forward, striking Zygarde with Feint Attack. She didn't seem terribly affected, and swatted him away with a headbutt.

"We are not frightened by you," she taunted in a calm voice before roaring.

The ground underneath Formora began cracking, and a powerful beam of green light enveloped her entire body. She screamed, feeling the weight of the earth all around, crushing her, until after what felt like an eternity the agony stopped. She fell to the ground, panting. That attack…was that Earth Power? It was incredibly similar to it, but the light that emanated was the wrong color.

"Formora!" Kia cried, helping her up. He was completely unscathed. "Beware Land's Wrath; it's Zygarde's signature attack."

"Is it? It looks _and_ feels like a color-swapped Earth Power. Is that all you can do?" Formora said to Zygarde, spitting. "I've been hit with Tackles more damaging than that."

"I'm back~" Xerneas shouted from out of nowhere, leaping from behind a mesa and throwing Moonblast at the wounded Formora.

Out of reflex, she sent out Shadow Ball, negating the attack and causing a small explosion.

"Sorry I'm late, Zy. I just _really_ needed a snickerdoodle. Have you had one of those? They're _great!_ You'd love them," Xerneas chatted happily to Zygarde like they weren't in the middle of a battle.

Annoyed at his casual manner, she threw another Shadow Ball at him. It struck him right in the chest, and he stumbled backwards a few steps.

"Hey! That was very rude. I was talking to my sister!" he raged, charging up lunar power and sending the Moonblast at her.

She didn't have time to dodge, and she was sent sprawling across the rough terrain, coming to a stop right next to a lava pool. After getting her wits back, she stood, frowning. She was much stronger than the last time she'd fought Xerneas, but…that Moonblast had barely hurt. Sure, it had caught her off-guard, but she was still pretty healthy.

The reason came to her. Ah yes, that was right: Zygarde's presence nullified and reversed the Abilities of Xerneas and Yveltal. She smiled. Zygarde would prove to be her own downfall.

"Tell me, how are you two still alive? You're not wearing anything other than Weather Bands," she asked. If she could distract them, Kia could swoop in with a surprise attack.

Xerneas shrugged. "Eh, I've seen Cressie when she first wakes up in the morning. Trust me, a little poisonous air is _nothing_ compared to _that_."

"We are always at balance, for we restore any effects caused by a damaged ecosystem," Zygarde explained, settling next to Xerneas.

Formora surmised that Zygarde's Aura Break and geyser-sensing abilities were the biggest factor. Her mere _presence_ was protection enough. And if the floor ever broke, she could just 'restore balance' and fix it. Interesting.

"Yah!" Kia shouted, launching a Sonic Boom at Xerneas. The cervine neatly jumped out of the way, landing on top of a mesa.

"Are we playing Tag again? Can I be It next?" he asked, jumping back down to the ground to avoid Kia's subsequent Sonic Boom.

Formora got an idea, and upon impulse launched herself at Xerneas. She sat down on his back, locking her arms around his neck. He kicked and bucked wildly, trying to throw her off. Her whole body was flung around like a ragdoll, but tenaciously she clung on.

"Hey! I am not one of those rides you find at the mall! At least give me 25 Poké first!" he protested, still trying to dislodge her.

She was too focused on holding on to notice anything else. She heard Zygarde roar, but other than that the rest of the battle was lost over her one desire to _hold on_.

Just then, multiple pink spheres of energy rained down upon the two. Crying out as she was struck, she momentarily loosened her grip to go and protect her head, but thought better of it a second later. It was too late, though. Xerneas felt her weaken, and used the opportunity to finally shake her off. As she somersaulted through the air, she managed to snipe him once with Ice Beam.

Kia caught her before she could hit the ground, and gently set her down.

Xerneas shook his head. "Ah…did you _have_ to hit me with Draco Meteor, sis?"

"You were barely affected by it. It helped you shake the Lady Formora off, did it not?" Zygarde responded coolly as her Safeguard faded away. She wasted no time in summoning it again.

"I suppose. Oh well!" Xerneas laughed, striking Kia with Moonblast as the latter attempted to hit him with Feint Attack.

Kia was thrown clumsily to the ground, and went limp. Formora frowned. What was he doing?! She knew he wasn't unconscious. Why was he…oh. She laughed.

Xerneas tilted his head at the "fallen" Kia as he leaped atop a small mesa. "Has he learned nothing since our last fight? This is why education is important, Zy!"

"Indeed," Formora agreed, throwing Shadow Ball at him. The attack landed right on his front right kneecap. The Legendary of Life stumbled backwards, and fell.

"Oh no! Are you okay, Xerneas?" Formora gasped, putting her palms against her cheeks in mock-horror.

"Finland!" came Xerneas' faint reply from the other side of the mesa. He sounded winded. Formora was pleased.

"He is making references. He is just fine," Zygarde responded wryly. "Now then…"

She roared, and shot a bright pink beam of light from her mouth high into the sky. When the beam reached its maximum height, it exploded into countless energy balls.

Formora dodged each and every Draco Meteor, keeping a close eye on all of the falling projectiles. But while she was focused on the sky, she failed to notice the ground beneath her opening up.

One minute she was fine, the next she was surrounded by pain. Green pain, to be exact. When she was freed from the attack, she was crouched on the ground, panting. Damn, Zygarde was strong! Formora was beginning to tire, and that meant she had to wrap this battle up shortly. While Xerneas was tiring as well, Zygarde was still perfectly fine. Well, Formora would fix that right enough.

"Huh, I thought that woulda done her in. You owe me an ice cream sandwich," Xerneas commented, turning to face Zygarde.

"We were not taking bets," Zygarde sighed.

"I'm back!" Kia announced unexpectedly, striking Xerneas square on his flank with Sonic Boom.

"Aghhhhh—I see what you did there—hhhh!" Xerneas shouted, wincing.

"Keep Xerneas busy, would you? I need to take care of Zygarde," Formora murmured to Kia, who'd struck Xerneas again with Sonic Boom.

"Can do," Kia nodded, flying over to Xerneas. The Vibrava began zooming all around the legendary's face, nimbly dodging each attack the cervine sent at him.

Zygarde's Safeguard faded once more, and before she could summon it yet again Formora sent an extra-icy blast at her. The Ice Beam struck her right in the chest, and as Formora hoped the ice spread to completely encase Zygarde.

The ice immediately began melting due to the immense heat. Formora would need to work _fast_.

"Huh, Zygarde Pops! Now with all-natural organic ingredients," Xerneas joked, spotting his sister as a flower burst into existence, then died.

"Take this battle seriously, dammit!" Formora raged, irritated by all his jokes and casual manner. Didn't he know his very _life_ was at stake?!

"Oh, but I am!" Xerneas laughed, dodging her Shadow Ball. He jumped straight into Kia's Earth Power, but the Vibrava received a Megahorn to the face for his troubles.

Kia was flung directly into Formora, and both bowled over the ground before coming to a stop in a dazed heap.

"Ah…you two…are a lot of trouble," Xerneas panted as a green aura began pulsating from him. He was powering up with Geomancy; now was the best chance to attack!

"You could have avoided all this if you had just surrendered," Formora told him as she and Kia pelted him mercilessly with their attacks as he prepared.

Xerneas flinched at each of their blows, but did not fall.

A great roar burst from Zygarde, who had completely thawed by now. Before Kia and Formora could do anything, the ground opened up to envelop them in Land's Wrath.

This time, it took Formora a few moments to return to her senses. Everything hurt; her body, her head, and most of all her burns from the dungeon. The salve she'd put on had been stripped away by the blows she'd taken.

There was no more time to fool around. Time to get serious.

But before she could plan, the ground began shaking. The path had taken a serious beating from the three Land's Wraths, and could no longer sustain itself. Lava began seeping through the cracks as hunks of rock began falling away.

Zygarde and Xerneas jumped to the nearest mesa, and Kia flew Formora to a tall one nearby. The path broke completely, and now only lava covered the ground. The mesas the Pokemon were standing on groaned as lava pushed against them, but ultimately stood firm.

Formora and Kia were higher than their foes, both of whom were looking warily down at the lava below. She took the chance to summon up an extra-powerful Shadow Ball, and hurled it straight at Xerneas's legs. Her aim was true, and Xerneas let out a scream that was music to her ears.

"Ha! You think _that's_ enough to defeat _me?!_ 'Cuz you'd be CORRECT!" he said, falling onto his side. He tried to stand, but the one Formora had struck (the same leg she had hit before, actually,) refused to move.

"Ah, it'll take more than a busted leg to beat me!" he said weakly, managing to stand up. He held his injured leg off the ground.

"Brother!" Zygarde cried, moving to block him with her body. Kia struck her with Sonic Boom, and she flinched. Formora took the opportunity to strike Xerneas once more with Shadow Ball. He couldn't dodge with his injured leg, and took the attack right to the chest.

"Yep, that'll do it. GG!" he said before collapsing.

* * *

"Agh…Hey, Zygarde? Can you do the thing now?" Xerneas wheezed, shaking his head back and forth vigorously.

"'Do the thing'?" Kia and Formora echoed in confusion.

"Very well. We shall do the thing," Zygarde agreed, having recovered from the Sonic Boom.

She let out a loud, piercing roar, then a bright green light shone from her body. It was much too bright to look at, but when Formora closed her eyes, the light seemed to permeate her eyelids, until she knew nothing but vibrant, viridian _power_.

When she opened her eyes, she did not recognize where she was. She was lying on lush green grass on top of a hill. The sky was painted in marvelous sunset shades, where just a second ago it had been dark and overcast. What happened? Where was she? Better yet, where were Xerneas and Zygarde? The only sign of them was a pink flower blooming faster than what was natural.

She looked around, but didn't see them. Kia was next to her, his eyes closed. She nudged him until he woke.

"What…happened?" he asked in awe once he'd noticed their surroundings.

The volcano was still in front of them, but the magma pools were all gone, replaced by springs with water so clear it was as if it didn't exist at all. The mesas were now green hills, and the unbroken path was lined in colorful flowers. They looked behind them, and saw the dungeon entrance, but it was marked by two grand elms.

"Did Zygarde do this?" Formora asked wondrously, taking off her goggles and mask. The air was sweet and clean, ripe with the scent of flora. Zygarde had said it was her job to restore balance, and that the Deadlands were the biggest affront to her. "Did she…change the Deadlands?"

"I believe she did. She holds the power to fix nature's mistakes, and why else would she come to a place like this if not to bring normalcy back here?" Kia agreed.

It was an awesome gift. Shame that Zygarde refused to use it for the Dark.

"Whatever she did, she is now an enemy for protecting Xerneas. We should get back to the base; everyone will wish to know about this," Formora said, heading for the exit.

The entrance to the former Deadlands was as verdant as the volcano's peak. Flowers and trees now grew wherever they wished, and the river was back to normal. It whispered sweet nothings as Formora and Kia followed it back to where they had left Firnen. As they walked back, Formora noticed many white stones as big as watermelons in perfect rows. Flowers grew in front of each stone, reminding her somewhat of a cemetary.

The Fraxure was still waiting at the outskirts, looking as if he'd aged a decade since they'd last seen him. He jumped to his feet at their approach, running over and embracing both in a tight hug.

"You're back! You're alive! _You're actually alive_!" he exclaimed, tears streaming down his face.

"Of course we are. Told you we'd make it out. Where are Xerneas and Zygarde?" Formora asked.

"Ah…they left. I tried to stop them, but I was too distracted by…well, it doesn't matter, you're alive!" Firnen answered. Formora scoffed.

"Your one job was to stop them if they got past us! Dammit, Firnen! Ugh, whatever. Team Ascension can finish their chase when we get back," she sighed angrily, pushing him away.

"O-oh…okay," Firnen frowned. "Um…do you know what happened to the Deadlands? One minute it was normal, the next it's all…green."

"Zygarde fixed the Deadlands. She used her eco-restoration powers. Now come on, I am _starving_ , and Kia needs his tail looked at," Formora replied.

* * *

When Team Renegade entered the cafeteria, then entire base looked at them, and stood. Even Giratina was here in the overworld, looking incredibly surprised.

" **Did you three…actually make it?"** he asked, bewildered.

"Kia and I did. Firnen stayed back. The Deadlands are gone, by the way. Zygarde's fault," Formora summarized, hating the attention directed at her. She was meant to survive; there was nothing for them to cheer for.

" **Tell us the story. Do not leave out any details,"** Lord Giratina commanded.

After they were done narrating _every single damn detail_ , everyone began cheering wildly, congratulating Team R on their trip. None of them even cared that Xerneas and Zygarde had escaped (which made no sense to Formora; wasn't the whole _point_ of the trip to capture them?). It was over two hours before Team Renegade were left alone enough to get food in their stomachs.

Formora despised all the positive attention. They should be criticizing her failure, not the fact she was got out of a dungeon she was fated to get through! Idiots, all of them.

" **Our Champion and her team have braved a dungeon none here have ever walked and lived to tell of it. While those very halls may be safe now, we shall never forget their great expedition through the deadliest dungeon known on earth. Rejoice in their return, and let us focus our efforts again on finding Xerneas, and now the rebellious Zygarde,"** Giratina boomed.

Everyone cheered again, and Formora stabbed her peas viciously with her fork, imagining she was stabbing the heads of the crowd.

* * *

 **Sunset Beach Cliff**

She was the first to arrive to the meeting spot tonight. She sat down by the edge, watching the waves crash onto the cliff below.

The ground rumbled for a few seconds, and there was a deep groaning sound coming from inside the dungeon, as if someone had just heard a horrible pun. Formora tensed, bracing herself for an earthquake, but strangely, all was calm a moment later. She half-expected a magma geyser to erupt, honestly.

Glace arrived ten minutes later, looking out of breath.

"Phew! Dungeon foes had it out for me tonight. How are you, Formora?" Glace panted.

"Oh, I'm fine. Have you given my question any thought?" Formora replied.

"A little bit. From what I understand, you guys bring misery. I don't want to have to hurt other Pokemon. I don't know if I could do what you do, Formora," Glace said doubtfully after a moment's hesitation.

"You don't have to. There are many different jobs needed in the Dark. Some of us gather supplies, others gather intelligence, and more others work at the compound as functionaries. I won't lie, there are those of us—myself included—who serve pain to others, but if you don't want to do that, then you don't have to. We're an organization, Glace. An organization dedicated to righting wrongs. You and I, we've had injustices dealt to us time and time again. With what I do, I help those like us give the privileged and entitled a taste of what we have endured. Why should other Pokemon have soft, easy existences while we've had to deal with poverty and betrayal our entire lives?" Formora explained.

She'd let Glace have another night to consider her words.

"It's getting late; I need to get back to the fortress. You think about what I've said, Glace. I'll see you here tomorrow at the usual time?"

"Sure, that'll work," Glace nodded, sounding thoughtful.

"Excellent. I look forward to your answer," Formora said in satisfaction.

The two women left the dungeon, and back to their beds.

* * *

 **SAWK USED ROCK SMASH! SAWK USED ROCK SMASH! ...Sorry. Never did figure out what those things had against walls.**

 **I must say, I really believe the music choices for today are perfect for the surroundings. The bleakness and despair of the Deadlands, the grandiose of the Land of Eternal Fire…Can you picture Formora and Kia running for their lives away from a crumbling floor as the beat drops in the LoET? Alas, I could not find any extended versions of the PSMD soundtracks. Which is a shame, for I could listen to Reverse Mountain all day. Perhaps you don't feel as I do about this post. Which is absolutely fine, I don't expect everyone to have the same opinions. That'd be as boring as a post on doing taxes. Unless you're into that; in that case see previous-previous statement.**

 **The Deadlands were unique in that there was no hope of escape by KO. Death was the only escape from the Deadlands (well, aside from careful planning + a boat full of luck). What do you say about someone who willingly goes inside? Are they brave, or insane?**

 **But now the Deadlands are no more, having been returned to normal by Zygarde. No more lives shall be lost inside that pit of hell. Those souls can rest easy now.**

 **The next post shall include: a request from Cate, Glace's answer, and an assassination attempt (but not on Formora!).**


	36. Chapter 36

"Have you told our leader about Glace?" Firnen asked Formora.

The trio were hanging out in Kia's room, which was elegantly decorated with fine china and many boring-looking books. The walls were covered in his paintings, most of which looked completely lifelike. She had to admit, her friend had a real talent.

"Yes," she nodded, politely sipping a cup of tea. She had to struggle to keep her face from scrunching up in distaste. Tea wasn't her favorite, but she respected Kia enough to not be rude. "I spoke to him earlier; he's very excited for her to join us. Since she lives with other Pokemon, he doesn't want anyone following us home or trying to stop her from leaving. So, I'll bring a mirror with me, and we can travel to his dimension though there. I'll need your help in transporting it to Sunset Beach. We'll be unconscious for a day or two from the inter-dimensional travel, but there will be no interlopers wanting to keep Glace in Lily Town and away from us."

"Sure, we can help," Kia agreed, delicately taking a bite of pastry. "By the way, Formora, I've scheduled an appointment with a therapist. I kept waking up in cold sweats from Deadlands-related nightmares."

He gave her a pointed look, but she didn't see what his point was. "Okay."

"Hey, your birthday's in three days, right? What can we do to make it your best birthday yet?" Firnen asked.

Formora laughed dryly. Even if Formora received nothing but a moldy cake, it would still be better than her past eighteen birthdays. Honestly, the bar for 'best birthday ever' was lower than dirt. But she knew her friends would do their best to make her happy.

"To be honest? Nothing. No celebrations, no parties. I don't want any attention. Just a normal day where I do normal things and everyone treats me like normal. That's all I want," she said, leaning back in her seat.

"A normal day…odd, but we can do that," Kia nodded.

There was a quiet knock at the door.

"Come in!" Kia said.

Cate walked in, and froze at the sight of Formora and Firnen.

"Hi Cate. What's up?" Firnen asked kindly.

"Um…Nothing. Never mind," the Espurr squeaked, her face turning red as she backed out of the room. She paused, then shook her head, re-entering. "No, no. Um, Kia? Can I…ask you a huge favor?"

"Of course," Kia nodded.

Cate took a deep breath. "Can you…take me to a dungeon? You've helped me train so much, and I really wanna prove to Troja and Marvel that I'm strong now! If I can complete a dungeon all by myself, it'll show them I've come a long way! They won't believe me, but they'll listen to you. Please?"

Kia smiled, and walked over to her, taking her hand. "I'd be delighted to help you. Do you know where you'd like to go?"

Cate's eyes widened. "No, I didn't think that far ahead…"

"Don't worry, we'll find a good challenge for ya," Firnen beamed, taking out Team R's map and spreading it across Kia's coffee table.

"Let's see…Amethyst Cave would be too easy, and so would Jungle Thicket. Sludgy Cesspool is both disgusting and a tad out of your skill level…Ah! Tawny Savanna would be perfect!" Kia said, pouring over the map.

"Tawny Savanna? Where's that?" Formora asked, unfamiliar with the dungeon.

Firnen pointed to a small plain about 30 miles southeast from Sealed Abyss, which lay in the north. "Oh, I remember that place! Back when we still worked under Lord Yveltal, we'd often gather supplies from the surrounding dungeons. Yeah, that's a good dungeon for you to explore, Cate. It's 20 floors; does that work for you?"

Cate took another deep breath, and smiled confidently. "Yes, sounds good! I'm ready to leave whenever you are!"

"Mind if we tag along?" Formora asked. Cate looked as if she was going to say no, but seemed to change her mind.

"Um, sure, that's fine."

"Sweet. Do you need to stop by Dungeon Alley first?" Firnen asked as he put away the map.

"No, I want to use only the items I can find in the dungeon. It'll impress Troja and Marvel more," Cate declined, shaking her head.

"Very well. Let us be off!" Kia beamed.

* * *

 **Tawny Savanna ( watch?v=JrW1NBW2mAs)**

Tawny Savanna lay far in the northeast, where grassy plains dominated over every other biome. It was early afternoon by the time the four had arrived.

The path leading up to the entrance was covered in thick, tall brown grass almost as high as Firnen. They'd briefly lost Cate twice in the hedge before Formora plopped her on top of Kia, who flew overhead. Both blushed, but seemed to be fine with the arrangement.

The entrance itself wasn't heralded by anything special; the path merely gave way to shadow. A few scraggly trees grew nearby, but aside from that there was nothing to the area.

"Well, this place sure is boring," Formora snorted, looking around. "No wonder you two transferred to Dark Island."

"It's not the most beautiful of scenery, but it shall do for Cate's purposes. Speaking of, are you ready, d—Cate?" Kia asked, landing so she could dismount.

The Espurr looked nervous, but put on a brave face. "I am. Thank you _so much_ for helping me! Both with this, and training with me! I won't let you down, I promise! But…if I'm not back in two hours, come get me please?"

Kia put his hands on her shoulders. "We will not need to. I believe in you," he said solemnly.

Cate blushed, and turned away. "O-oh. Thanks. Um, well, I'll be off then!"

Quickly, she ran into the dungeon.

Formora sat down, shielding her eyes with her hand against the bright glare of the sun. "So what exactly makes this place great for Cate's test?"

"There are a lot of lower-level ground types here, which she's neutral against. She won't have a hard time fighting foes she's weak to, nor will she have an advantage against her enemies. A couple of foes can inflict status conditions, but for the most part it's a straight shot to the end. But for someone around Cate's level, it'll be a challenge. I know she'll make it; I have complete faith in her," Kia explained, lying flat against the ground to sun himself.

One hour passed, with no sign of Cate. It wasn't that unusual, for the dungeon _was_ 20 floors full of neutral foes against a similarly-powerful Pokemon. Cate should be reaching the end soon.

But after half an hour, Cate still had not returned. All three Renegades were getting worried. If Cate had been defeated, she would have been kicked out, but if she were trapped instead…?

"She said to give her two hours. If she's not out in another half hour, then we'll go get her," Formora said, watching the entrance as if the Espurr would magically appear.

Each minute that passed felt like an eternity, and by the end of the allotted time, Cate was still missing.

Kia stood. "We're going in. Now."

 **1F-3F**

The inside was only marginally more interesting than the outside. The floor was composed of dirt, with a few patches of grass growing here and there. Craggy rocks surrounded the trio, and on top of the short mesas were a few boulders and bushes. Bright blue flowers and strands of long grass grew alongside the walls as well as on flat parts of the rock. There was a small breeze wafting through the halls, bringing with it the scent of grass.

More importantly than the scenery, there was no sign of Cate. The trio called her name throughout the first few floors, but all they could find were Phanpys, Donphans, Nidorinas, Rhyhorns, Sandshrews, and Gibles. All of the enemies fell after only one or two hits, which was a nice change of pace. It was a good sign that the little Espurr hadn't gotten stuck so far, but Team Renegade preferred to see Cate themselves to know she was okay.

 **4F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

The sun was shining brightly throughout the dungeon, forcing Team R to shield their eyes against the glare. They stumbled across a Kecleon Shop filled with Orbs.

"Hey, have you seen an Espurr come by?" Firnen asked as Formora bought a Luminous Orb.

The shopkeeper scratched his head. "An Espurr? No, don't think so. Why?"

Team Renegade merely ignored him, and moved on.

 **5F-9F**

There was still no sign of Cate throughout the next few floors. Before, whenever someone else was on the same floor as Team R, they'd get a certain _feeling_ that they weren't alone. But none of them ever had that hunch. It was possible Cate had already departed the dungeon by now, but since two hours had passed the Espurr would know that Team R had gone in after her. Hopefully Cate had just taken longer than she realized getting through the dungeon.

 **10F**

The trio paused on this floor to rest for a brief moment and refill their stomachs.

"She's got to be here somewhere; hopefully we'll find her within this next half," Firnen consoled Kia, who had only nibbled at his apple.

"I do hope so," the Vibrava agreed sadly.

Team R packed up, and prepared to march again. Alas, though, Formora accidentally stepped on a trap.

A huge gust of wind sent her flying across the room, straight into something soft. Both she and whatever she'd crashed into fell to the ground. Formora got up slowly, feeling a bruise beginning to form on the back of her head. She turned to see what broke her flight, and found a dazed Sandshrew lying at her feet. A quick Ice Beam later, and she returned back to her teammates.

That Gust Trap had flung her 90 degrees west, straight into the Sandshrew coming out of a corridor.

 **11F-14F**

As before, Cate was nowhere to be found. The sun continued to shine for most of the duration, and fortunately for Team R there were no fire- or grass-types to take advantage of the brightness. Of course, even with a weather advantage, they'd still be no match for the trio.

 **15F**

To their delight, they had that feeling that someone else was on this floor with them.

"It's gotta be Cate!" Kia exclaimed. "Cate? Caaaaaaaate!"

The trio called her name as they walked around.

"Yes?" a voice said as they rounded a corner into a room.

A Gastly, a Sunkern, and a Zweilous were staring at them. The Zweilous stepped forward. "I'm Kait. Who are you three?"

"Argh, it's just an explanation team. Hey, have you seen an Espurr at all?" Formora scowled. Of all the rotten luck…

"No, we haven't. Who are you?" Not-Cate repeated.

"Team Renegade; be thankful for our mercy," Formora sighed as she blasted the Sunkern with Ice Beam. With a squeak, he vanished.

Kia and Firnen followed suit, and soon the rest of the explorers had been eradicated from the dungeon.

"'Mercy'?" Kia asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"What? All we did was KO them, when we could have kidnapped or tortured them," Formora shrugged.

"Good point."

 **16F-19F**

By now, the trio were thoroughly worried for Cate's safety. They'd gone through almost the entire place without seeing her. On 17F, Kia suggested she may have been defeated by a boss waiting at the end. He and Firnen never saw a boss during their previous excursions here, but it was always possible one may have moved in since.

They hurried onward, hoping the little Espurr hadn't been captured by some territorial dungeon boss.

 **20F**

After searching the entire floor, Team Renegade had to admit defeat. They crowded around the Stairs, worried for their friend.

"Either we find her at the end and break every bone of whoever defeated her, or we find her waiting for us back at the entrance. Either way, I'll be happy," Formora said, crossing her arms.

"May it be the latter," Kia agreed miserably.

"Only one way to find out," Firnen said as they completed the dungeon.

 **Tawny Savannah Clearing**

They found Cate, alright. She shouted a Disarming Voice towards a battered, beat-up Liepard who was snarling down at her.

The Voice collided with the Liepard, and with a yowl it collapsed to the ground, and lay still.

Cate—bruised, but otherwise fine—looked over at the newcomers, and beamed. "Oh, hey guys! How long were you standing there?"

"Are you alright?!" Kia demanded, rushing over to her as Formora answered, "We just got here."

Cate laughed. "I'm fine! Could use an Oran Berry, though. Sorry I was late! This Liepard attacked me when I arrived. But I defeated it, all by myself! Oh, Kia, you should have seen the whole battle! You would have been so proud of me! The Liepard tried to hit me _so many times_ with Pursuit, but I kept putting up Reflect like you taught me! Then I used Payback after I got hit, then kept using Disarming Voice 'cuz I knew Psyshock wouldn't do anything to it. Oh! And then I—"

Cate continued her narrative of the battle until finally she ran out of breath. Formora was very relieved to find her relatively unharmed, and when Cate paused to breathe Formora handed her an Oran Berry.

"You defeated a worthy adversary. Let's celebrate by going out to eat in Lucida Town. It'll be dinnertime when we get back to Dark Island. You can have whatever you want, on us," Formora suggested as Cate happily wolfed down the berry.

Cate's eyes went wide. "Really? Oh, you guys are the best! There's this one place I've been meaning to try…"

* * *

When the four returned home with their leftovers, though, they found that something serious had happened while they were gone. Everyone in the building was tense, looking over their shoulders as if they expected assassins to strike.

"What's going on?" Formora asked Bonsly of Team Valor as they passed him in the front hall.

He looked around before answering, and his voice was a quiet whisper. "Someone tried to poison Lord Giratina."

" _What?!"_ Team R and Cate exclaimed, horrified.

"Who did it? And is he okay?!" Formora demanded, her fingers twitching in rage. Oh, how she longed to wrap them around the neck of whoever tried to kill their leader…

"We don't know yet, but it's definitely someone who worked in the kitchen. Only they have access to the food prepared specifically for him. Oksana's busy interrogating them as we speak, and Miles is having the poison found in the food identified, but that will take a few days. And yes, he'll be just fine. Luckily, the would-be murderer didn't put in enough poison to kill a Pokemon of Giratina's size. He's unwell, but will recover. Chansey's tending to him in his dimension," Bonsly narrated.

Formora breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know what she—or the rest of the Dark side—would do if their leader was gone. And knowing Oksana, she'll find the culprit in no time.

"Well, I'm glad he'll make it. And I have full faith in Oksana's skills," she said.

"Yes, she is quite the gumshoe," Bonsly agreed. That word was unfamiliar to her.

"What?"

"Detective," Kia clarified.

"Sorry, I try to learn a new word every day. Yesterday's was 'philately', the day before's was 'nudnik', and the day before that was—"

"I get it," Formora interrupted, completely disinterested in Bonsly's personal life. "Thanks for your help."

"No prob," he said as he walked off.

"Wow, how scary to think that we can't even trust our own food now…" Cate said nervously, rubbing her paws together.

"Hard to say when Oksana will release the innocent staffers, so until then it looks like we'll be dining out. You're always welcome to join us, Cate," Firnen shrugged.

"Oh, that's very kind of you, but I don't want to impose. Besides, I have enough food for tomorrow. I have a couple of things I need to do tonight, but I just want to say again, thank you so much for today! No one…no one usually believes in me," Cate said, looking down.

Formora put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about what others think of you. What matters is that you're happy with who you are. And who you are is someone to be proud of, especially after all you've endured."

Cate smiled. "Thank you Formora. That means a lot. I've gotta go, but I'll see you around sometime. Goodnight!"

Cate gave everyone a quick hug before racing off, and Formora noted with confusion that Kia's lasted a second longer than everyone else's. She decided it didn't matter.

"I've gotta run too, if I want to make it to my meeting with Glace tonight," she said.

"Okay, see ya tomorrow. Good luck with Glace," Firnen waved as Formora went to drop her belongings off at her room before heading back out.

* * *

 **Sunset Beach Cliff**

It seemed she was early again, for Glace was not there. Which was fine, as it let be alone with her thoughts. She sat down at the edge of the cliff, staring out into the ocean and sky beyond.

She let out a sigh, admiring the nightscape. Millions of little stars blanketed the sky, blinking like little flashlights. The waves below crashed gently against the cliff, and Formora thought briefly about spending the night here, under the stars with the sound of the ocean to lull her to sleep. She decided not to, as while this place certainly had its charm, it was no Frigid Tundra, where she truly belonged.

She did not mind at all that Glace was late. She had the stars to keep her company.

"Glad to see you made it." Formora greeted, hearing Glace arrive after about half an hour. She stood, facing the Glaceon.

"I wouldn't miss our meetings for the world," Glace said, laughing quietly.

"So, have you thought about my question?" Formora asked, a nervous edge to her voice. She was almost certain Glace would join, but there was always room for doubt…

"I have," Glace nodded confidently.

"And?"

"The answer is…yes. I will join the Dark side," Glace revealed with a huge smile.

Formora matched it with one of her own, and embraced Glace warmly. "You've made the right choice, Glace. Listen, I have to return home. Something came up. Meet me here at sunset tomorrow, and I'll bring you a transport to the compound. Would that work for you?"

"Yeah sure," Glace agreed.

"Great! Farewell for now, Glace. I look forward to working with you," Formora smiled as they left the dungeon together.

* * *

Formora returned to base, but she did not go to her room. Instead, she stopped in front of Sonya and Oksana's door, and knocked loudly.

After a moment, the door opened, but it was Sonya who answered, looking mildly irritated.

"Eet's two een the morning; what do you wunt?!" the Banette demanded, leaning against the doorframe.

"To speak with Oksana," Formora replied.

"She's asleep. Can eet weht unteel breakfast?"

"Do you know if she found the person who poisoned our lord?"

"Lehdy Formora, I respect you for sehving my life and ull, but deed you _really_ have to eenterrupt my medeetation for _that_?"

"Yes."

"Oh my—forget eet. 'Sana's sure she's found the culpreet, but we're ull wehting un the analeesees of the poison. Now, can I go back to the closest thing to sleep I can experience?"

"Sure. Goodnight."

"Whatever."

* * *

 **Woo! Summer break! I'm free (for now)!**

 **The next installment shall contain: a wonderful little village, a wonderful new member, and the wonderful identity of the Light's Chosen. And apparently I like the word 'wonderful' today.**


	37. Chapter 37

"And now Team Terra will present their findings," Miles concluded his introduction and sat down at the table with the others as Team Terra stood up.

Teams Renegade, Jacks (minus the always-late Jace), Terra, Miasma, and Deviant were seated in the Intel meeting room, along with Kay and Kyurem. Most of the Pokemon were shivering violently from Kyurem's aura. Only Formora, Kay, Sonya, and Sumatra were unaffected.

"Thank you Miles. As you know, yesterday we four explored Restored Haven, formerly known as the Deadlands. We found that the lethal conditions have disappeared entirely, and the dungeon seems to be the complete opposite of what it once was. For example, fresh, drinkable water and food are found almost everywhere. The air is safe to breathe, and no lava geysers erupt. Actually, the terrain has changed from volcanic to forest, though the Pokemon are about the same level as before. The volcano at the end seems to be dormant, and the Pokemon found inside are now predominantly forest-dwellers," Sumatra reported.

"The st-stones near the e-e-entrance seem to b-b-be tombstones, o-on account of—" Katrina was interrupted by the door being slammed open.

Inside the doorframe was Oksana, holding a squealing, injured Shiny Pichu by its ear. It was missing its left eye.

"Leesten up, everyone! Thees leetle rat has something to tell you~!" the Eelektross boomed before turning to her squirming captive. "Tell them what you told me, or eet's the other eye for you!"

"P-put me down, pl-please!" the wretch whimpered.

Oksana said nothing, only put the tip of her claw over his right eyelid.

"Alright alright! J-just don't hurt me anym-more! At the end of D-d-deserted Desert, there's a v-village. A _Shiny_ Village. Now pl-please, let me go!" he begged.

"Congratulations! Your purpose has been fulfeelled. Time to die," Oksana beamed. And before the Pichu had time to register her meaning, Oksana snapped his neck effortlessly.

She looked up, holding the lifeless body in her hand carelessly. "You heard heem. I had Murkrow check eet out already; she can confirm the veellage's presence. Now, don't you guys have Shinies to geeve me?"

"Um, yes, of course. All of you go round them up. Take Teams Ascension and Prestige with you; they're good at hunting Shinies," Miles directed, caught somewhat off-guard.

Formora stayed behind, looking at the corpse with interest. "How does it feel to kill someone?"

Oksana shrugged. "You get a rush that's like no other. Of course, after a murder or ten, you start to become used to eet. So, you have to get more…createeve, to feel that high again. Now please, I do meess having Pokemon to play weeth."

* * *

 **Deserted Desert ( watch?v=prDOCQW0ZrU)**

The party (concealed underneath the effects of Team Prestige's Vanilluxe's Invisify Orb) crowded around the entrance to the dungeon, which was marked by two sandstone pillars. Countless dunes blanketed the area to the horizon from all directions, interrupted only by cacti. There was no sign of a village, nor any higher life. But if Oksana confirmed the presence of Pokemon here, there would be.

"Alright, let's get going. The Invisify effects will wear off soon," Vanilluxe said impatiently. "I've been here before; the dungeon is 16 floors, and a sandstorm will appear on B5F and stay for the rest of the place. When we reach the end, I'll make us all invisible again. Then Team Renegade, Kyurem, and Kay will speak to the village while the rest of us spread around the town to catch any would-be runaways. Sound good?"

"What if we find non-Shinies?" Jace piped up. He'd shown up to the Intel room right when Formora had been leaving.

"We d-don't need 'em. They can g-g-go around and spread w-word of our assault. Let th-the enemy know that no matter wh-wh-where they are, we _will_ find th-them," Cradily shook his head.

"I agree; if w-w-we destroy the Light's c-confidence, then it'll be that m-m-much easier to deal the f-finishing blow," Vanilluxe's partner Blastoise said, pounding his fist into his hand.

"Well if we're all in agreement, let's go then," Formora said impatiently, marching straight into the dungeon before anyone could say anything.

 **B1F-B4F**

True to the biome, the dungeon was dry and sparse. The floor was made of cracked, parched dirt with a few inches of sand on top. The walls were nothing but two rock mesas stacked on top of each other. Cacti of all sizes grew haphazardly around the area, their spines glimmering wickedly in the bright sun. The air was dry and arid, and above all else it was much too hot for Formora's liking.

"Ugh, those villagers sure picked one hell of a place to hide," she muttered, licking her lips. "Let's not waste any time."

Team Renegade moved swiftly and stealthy through the halls, pausing only to KO enemies who tried to tangle with them. The foes were obviously composed of Pokemon who thrived in the desert, such as Maractus, Cacnea, Vibrava, Baltoy, Krokorok, and Gabite. It was strange at first, KOing Vibravas, but Formora soon got used to it. Still, there was something unnerving about attacking Pokemon who looked like her teammate…

 **B5F**

 **Weather condition: Sand**

As was expected, a vicious sandstorm brewed the moment Team R arrived on the floor. Kia was unaffected, his species right at home in the desert, but Firnen and Formora weren't so fortunate. The two non-ground-types shielded their faces against the sand whipping at their skin.

"Ugh! And we have to deal with this for the rest of the way? Screw that, change the weather, Kia—phwah! *cough* *cough*—and quick!" Formora grimaced, spitting sand out of her mouth.

"Aw," Kia pouted, but obeyed. He took out a random orb, and shattered it.

 **Weather condition: Hail**

"Ooh! Now _this_ more like it!" Formora laughed as hailstones as big as her eye began falling. None would ever hit her, but her teammates wouldn't be so fortunate.

"I beg to differ," Firnen grumbled, covering his head with his hands.

"As do I," Kia agreed, doing the same.

"Aw, lighten up! It's just hail," Formora giggled, skipping merrily down the hall.

 **B6F-B10F**

The sandstorm continued to rage as the trio slowly made their way through the dungeon. It was abated with the help of the weather-changing orbs they carried, but they did not have very many of them. So, by the time Team R hit B10F, Formora and Firnen were completely vulnerable to the anger of the storm. They both tied their scarves around their eyes in an effort to shield their eyes from the sand. The fabric of Formora's Froslass Bow was transparent enough for her to have a general sense of vision, but she and an equally-blind Firnen were forced to rely on Kia's immunity.

All in all, the sooner they reached the Shiny village, the better.

 **B11F**

 **Weather condition: Sand**

Trekking through a hot desert was tiring enough. Add in an unending sandstorm, and you had two exhausted Renegades and a Vibrava who felt right at home. The trio tried to shield themselves from the storm as best as they could in a little corner of a small room, and rested as best they could. They ate, and suddenly had the sense that they weren't alone.

"It's probably one of our teams, but nevertheless it wouldn't hurt to make sure," Formora said grimly, standing.

Cautiously, they made their way through the halls, searching for the unknown party. The party, as it turned out, happened to be Team Miasma.

Formora rounded a sharp corner, straight into Cradily.

"Wah!" she exclaimed in surprise, reflexively summoning Shadow Ball. Cradily did the same, summoning a giant Ancient Power.

Both leaders soon recognized the other, and dispelled their attacks.

"Oh, Team Renegade! Wasn't expecting to see you," Cradily greeted. "Why do you have those scarves around your faces?"

"Because of the sand," Sonya grumbled, holding her hand in front of her eyes.

"Makes sense. So, how are you three holding up?" Binacle asked. He and Cradily certainly had no need to fear the storm.

"I'll be _very_ happy once we find that village," Formora scowled, crossing her arms.

" _Da_! I _hehte_ thees plehce! There's too much sand!" Sonya agreed vehemently, an equally-irate scowl on her face.

"Well, we should probably get going before Sonya loses it. See you at the end, Team R," Cradily said hastily, nodding a goodbye at the trio.

The two teams split back up, and went about their own explorations.

 **B12F-B15F**

Though Formora hoped the sandstorm would cease, she knew it would not. Luckily, they were on the last few floors of the Arceusforsaken dungeon, and the end would not come soon enough. After this job, she vowed to stay _far_ away from deserts for a long while. She had to rest more often, since the heat was as endless as the storm. Why couldn't those stupid Shinies have picked a colder place to hide? She'd enjoy making them suffer very much.

On B13F, Kia accidentally stepped on a Slumber Trap. Pink mist was sprayed from the trap and into his face, but thanks to his Vibra Scarf, he merely shrugged off the cloud and moved on.

Later on the same floor, Giratina's voice came from the mirror inside their bag. He looked tired and a tad ragged, but he sounded just fine. He told the trio that a large mirror would be waiting for them on the shore of their island. He would establish a link between this world and his own, for Team R and Glace's purposes. Any who tried to follow would soon meet a grisly end. Formora reminded him of the reason that Glace was joining their side, and her leader responded that he already warned the Pokemon at the compound about Glace's beauty. The Glaceon's soon-to-be comrades knew not to stare or ask her on a date; she would be right at home.

Formora thanked Giratina for his updates, and he disappeared from the mirror's surface.

 **B16F**

 **Weather Condition: Sand**

When they arrived on the final floor, Formora was facing a hall directly to the west. As luck would have it, she could faintly see the outline of the Stairs from her spot.

"There it is! Let's go!" she said in delight, racing for them.

But, as she was running, she heard a _click_ and the ground beneath her sink a little. Suddenly, a Maractus, Baltoy, and Gabite were surrounding her. She swore. A Summon Trap, of all things.

She managed to evade the Maractus' Petal Dance, blasting it in the face with Ice Beam as she did. Kia and Firnen dove after the other two. Kia sent the Baltoy flying with Feint Attack while Firnen slashed at the Gabite with Dragon Claw.

Formora shot another Ice Beam at the Maractus. It ducked, and threw a beam of green energy at her. The beam enveloped her, draining a healthy portion of her energy and giving it back to the Maractus.

"You really think Giga Drain will save you?" she muttered, shooting off another Ice Beam, aimed at her foe's left foot.

As she expected, it jumped right, straight into her waiting Ice Beam. It flinched at the unexpected blast, and another Ice Beam caused it to vanish.

Kia and Firnen finished up their own fights (though Firnen was sporting an impressive gash on his shoulder from a Slash), and the trio completed the dungeon.

 **Desert Village**

To Formora's utmost delight, the storm had _finally_ stopped. There was an oasis about ¼ of a mile away from the exit. The group waited until everyone had arrived, and Vanilluxe threw down another Invisify Orb.

"Alright, everyone spread out," she whispered. The group separated, with Team Renegade, Kyurem, and Kay walking to the oasis, where the village _had_ to be.

And indeed, there it was. Surrounding the oasis were multiple crude huts and tents. Shiny Pokemon were _everywhere_ , attending to their chores. There were a couple non-Shinies as well, but they were in the minority. Formora's fingers twitched, and she wasn't sure if it was from excitement or lingering effects of the poisoned Deadlands air. Probably both.

The five made their way to the center of the town. Of course, the villagers knew something was up when they approached. Despite his invisiblity, Kyurem's aura cut through the heat of the desert.

Moments later, the five reappeared, much to the town's surprise.

"Hello, Pokemon of…whatever you call this place. I have a question for you: are you missing a Pichu?" Formora greeted. The shocked faces told her the answer. "Wonderful! The good news is, we know where he is. The bad news is, well, he's dead. And he told us where this place was. So that's pretty neat, doncha think?"

"Who are you?! What have you done to Pichu?!" a Shiny Machoke stepped forward. Judging by the wrinkles on his face and the authority he seemed to carry, he must be the village elder.

Formora put an innocent expression on her face. "Me? _I_ haven't done anything to him! Honest! But, well…have you heard of an Eelektross named Oksana?"

Everyone in the village began screaming, fleeing for the dunes.

"Ooh, she'll be happy to know she's famous," Formora beamed to her teammates.

"She deserves to meet her biggest fans," Kay agreed, laughing as she started running after the Shinies.

Rounding up the village took less than an hour. The villagers weren't expecting an ambush in the dunes, and were woefully unprepared for a fight. Some of the braver/stupider ones tried to fight back, but all Kyurem had to do was stand near them, and they fell into a fitful shiver.

"Aw, look, they thought they could fight back!" Formora teased. She was watching over the prisoners as the others were rounded up. A couple had tried to escape, but a few broken legs later fixed that. "Did you _really_ think you could hide from _us?_ It's almost cute, really, to think that you could live in a tiny little village and not be found. Idiots, all of you! You brought this upon yourselves. I hope it was worth it, because Oksana has been feeling _very_ lonely."

* * *

Everyone who was Shiny was brought to the compound. The few non-Shinies were permitted to leave, as they were of no use to the Dark. Since the village was so small, everyone would know everyone and have tight bonds with their fellow fugitives. There were enough of these bonds between the Shinies for Oksana to test and play with.

Team Renegade helped deliver the prisoners, and as the sun started to dip towards the horizon they spotted the mirror they were to bring to Sunset Beach on the shore.

"Come on, or we'll be late!" Formora urged, picking up a corner of the Tyranitar-sized mirror.

Transporting a giant mirror to the southwest coast was no easy task, but this was why they brought their bag with them. It could hold up to 64 items of _any_ size. If they wanted to, they could hold 64 giant mirrors in it, and the bag wouldn't be any heavier. Formora didn't really understand or care about the mechanics behind it, but whatever the cause, it made transporting the mirror a _whole_ lot easier. Sunset was just beginning by the time they arrived at the beach. The sky was painted with faint streaks of orange, pink, and purple.

"I'll Bypass my way to the cliff, in case Glace or anyone else is waiting for us," Formora said, taking out the Bypass Stone.

"We'll join you as quick as we can," Kia said as she warped to the cliff.

 **Sunset Beach Cliff**

No one was there, and Kia and Firnen arrived after about twenty minutes, and it took them but a few minutes to properly set up the giant mirror. After that, all they had to do was wait for Glace and her partner.

All too soon, Glace and a Herdier who had to be her partner Caine burst out of the dungeon.

"Formora! Hurry! Everyone's chasing me!" Glace screamed at the surprised group as what seemed to be an entire town appeared behind her.

There was a Chesnaught, Noivern, Zangoose, Greninja, Nidorina, Vespiquen, Lilligant, Leavanny, Ivysaur, Pelipper, Dewott, Chimecho, Jigglypuff, Meloetta (oh, Team Siren was here? This could be bad…), and Team Banshee of all Pokemon.

"It's over, Glace!" the Jigglypuff—Ranna—hissed, getting into an attack stance.

"Wow! You weren't kidding," Kia exclaimed, looking at the intruders.

"All of you are under arrest!" the Chesnaught boomed, throwing a volley of Seed Bombs at them, as if he could stop _Team Renegade_.

Formora, Firnen, and Kia neutralized the incoming threat with their own attacks. There was a small boom, but no one was hurt.

"We'll hold them off. You two hop inside the mirror!" Firnen yelled at Team Rogue as Team Renegade placed themselves between the two opposing parties.

As if on cue, Lord Giratina's telltale purple maelstrom appeared inside the mirror. The vortex swirled until it encompassed most of the mirror's surface, churning violently like the ocean during a storm.

Team Rogue, unused to their new leader's power, hesitated.

"Jump in! It's a portal!" Kia encouraged, sending most of the intruders away with Earth Power. Glace and Caine braced themselves, and jumped.

They fell _into_ the mirror, where they were immediately swallowed up by the purple whirlpool.

"NO!" the stupid Litwick of Team Banshee screamed, taking a step forward. Formora smiled. Yes, come closer. Give her a reason to quickly KO the brat.

But the Litwick stayed put, and the crowd was looming closer to the three Renegades. The trio backed off, heading for their violet escape.

"Nice try, but it appears we have a new member! How does it feel to know one of your closest friends turned traitor?" Formora laughed, enjoying the devastated looks on the group's faces.

"Stay and fight! Or are you too much of a coward to do so?" the Litwick demanded.

Formora laughed again. She wasn't falling for the obvious bait! "Ha, please. You're just a mere annoyance to me. You're not deserving of my special attention. Run along with your friends, now," she dismissed, making a shooing motion as she prepared to jump into the mirror.

"So you're just going to ignore the fact that the Champion of Light is standing right in front of you?" the Litwick said boldly.

Her blood running cold, Formora whipped around to face the little Shiny.

"What did you just say?" she whispered, not believing her incredible luck. If this little idiot was telling the truth, then _she_ was the one Formora was fated to kill!

"Come _on,_ Formora!" Firnen shouted impatiently, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the portal alongside him and Kia.

She fell through the whirlpool, watching her ultimate enemy fade away amidst the purple storm. For what seemed like hours she and her teammates plummeted. She soon became dizzy, and she closed her eyes, though it didn't help at all. Like when she had first been summoned to this world, she soon felt her body begin to spasm, and she could see bright flashes of light even through her closed eyelids.

She opened her mouth to scream, but her cry was cut short as the lights and dizziness overwhelmed her, until finally she lost consciousness.

* * *

 **While the Chesnaught, Zangoose, Noivern, and Greninja play only a** _ **teeny-tiny**_ **role here, they were originally submitted by pxrceptor :)**

 **The next post will include: Formora's perfect birthday, a gift for Shinx, and a delayed death sentence.**


	38. Chapter 10 Formora's Favorite Hobby

**Chapter 10. Formora's Favorite Hobby**

* * *

Some time later, she regained consciousness. Her head felt like it had been put through a compactor, and all was black and quiet. She lay still, in no rush to attract more pain as well as to enjoy the blessed silence. After what seemed like ages, her headache dimmed enough to where she felt safe to open her eyes and look around.

Doing so caused a sharp stab of pain to flash through her head, but after a moment it subsided. She saw that she was in her bed, and a small blue box with a red ribbon lay on her nightstand. Curious, she opened the box, finding a chocolate cupcake and a note inside.

Her stomach growled, and she realized that she was _starving._ After wolfing down the cupcake, she turned her attention to the note:

' _Happy Birthday, my dear Champion. I am not sure when you and your friends will wake up, for at the time this is being written it is July 12_ _th_ _, and all of you are still out. I am happy to report that there were no problems in your escape. So, whenever you wake up, enjoy your day however you please. –Giratina'_

The cupcake tasted fresh, so it couldn't have been that long since it had been delivered, which meant she'd only been out for a little over 36 hours. Nevertheless, Formora went into her living room, and found Teysa dusting the shelves.

"Oh! My Lady! How are you?" the Cinccino exclaimed upon seeing Formora.

"Fine. What day is it?" Formora replied.

"July 12th. It's almost noon."

"I see. I'll be leaving now."

"Take care."

 _19 today,_ Formora thought as she walked down the staircase. _At least I didn't wake up in the hospital again._

With a sigh, she resigned herself to the attention she'd surely receive as she opened the door to the second floor. Team Terra were walking out of the training room. They said hello to her, and walked off.

Confused, Formora went downstairs to the cafeteria. Cate, Sorin, Gabite, Gothorita, Charmeleon, and Azumarill were practicing for their next concert on the stage. They paused to give her a quick hello before resuming their play.

There were a few other Pokemon in the dining hall. They either gave Formora a brief acknowledgement, or ignored her outright. Formora was confused; she expected a big party waiting for her, why were they—oh.

Kia and Firnen. They'd asked her what she wanted for her birthday, and they had given her her answer. She felt a wide smile stretch across her face. Everyone was acting like it was a normal day! No party, no attention…nothing Formora didn't want.

Truly, her teammates were the best.

A delightful chilly aura washed over her, and she looked up from her plate to see Kyurem settling down next to her.

"Ah, I see you're awake," he said.

"Yep. Is everyone else still unconscious?" she nodded.

"I believe so, yes. What will you do today while they sleep?" he asked. It was as close to mentioning her birthday as was allowed.

She thought for a moment, and smiled.

"Kyurem, fly me to Frigid Tundra."

* * *

The frosty legendary dropped her off at the entrance to Snowy Crevice and bid her farewell. A couple of Bypass Stone usages later and she was back at the End of the World. She scanned the area carefully, searching all around the ice caps for signs of life.

Thankfully, her search did not yield any findings. She could relax without worry of being interrupted by soon-to-be ragdolls.

Her stomach howled, as she'd deliberately not eaten anything before coming all the way out here. The first time she'd been here, she'd spotted plants at the foot of the glacier.

An eager grin on her face, the ravenous Froslass began making her way down to the tundra valley.

Formora spent the rest of the day learning which of the arctic plants were edible. She found a couple tiny little shrubs whose bark tasted acidic, yet sweet. There were also various berries near the entrance to Snowy Crevice, and Formora found most were safe to eat. There were two plants that, upon ingesting a test sample of, caused her to get a small stomachache. She uprooted all of those she could find and threw them into the sea, where they disappeared into the navy blue depths without a trace.

There was plenty of food since it was summer, but come wintertime…Well, Formora resolved to spend most of her free time right here when the _real_ northern season began. She'd be constantly hard-pressed to find enough food and shelter, only a tiny slipup away from death.

Yes, she'd go on vacation once the snows extended beyond Snowy Crevice.

A snowstorm was quickly approaching, and the now-sated Formora found a large crack inside one of the glacier walls. She squeezed inside, content to wait the storm out from her crude shelter.

She lay down on her back, watching the snowflakes whirl past her spot. She didn't recall falling asleep, but there'd been something soothing about the sound of the storm amidst the icy chill of the tundra.

* * *

She woke to a stray sunbeam falling across her face. Yawning, she realized she must have slept through the night. She sighed, guessing that she should return back to the compound with all of its noisy, cramped inhabitants.

She was quite loath to leave her winter wonderland, but she did have responsibilities to attend to. Perhaps her teammates and Team Rogue were awake now.

When she left Snowy Crevice, however, she was startled to find Teams Terra, Miasma, Leviathan, and Rogue as well as Kay and Kyurem waiting outside the entrance.

"Um, hi?" she said, wondering why all of these Pokemon were here of all places.

Cradily groaned. "Fall back, folks. Shinx led us astray again." To her, he added, "Apologies, Lady Formora. Shinx got a tip that the enemy Champion was here…"

"Actually, he never said anything about the enemy, just that there was _a_ Champion here," Tohoku mused.

"Even so, we might as well head back. Sorry about the surprise, Formora," Kay said.

Formora joined the group in their trip back home, and she walked next to Glace, whose eyes were bright with happiness.

"When did you wake up?" she asked.

"Last night. Caine and your friends are awake too. Oh, Formora, I love it so much here! Not one person has stared at me or asked me out! Well, except for Caine, but I can deal with that. Lord Gi—um, _He Who Is,_ said I could explore dungeons to my heart's content! I haven't felt this happy in such a long time…"

"I'm glad. By the way… _Why didn't you tell me that little Litwick was the Light's Chosen?"_ Formora hissed, her voice a low growl as she grabbed the Glaceon and pulled her in close.

Glace blinked, and she was silent for a few moments. "I didn't have very much time or interest to get to know Team Banshee. They were nice to me, but I didn't see anything that was special about them. Ezra began speaking about voices in her head after she and Carys returned from Snowy Crevice; I thought she was deluded, crazy. After all, most sane people don't hear voices. I didn't believe her when she said she was the Light's Chosen."

Her explanation made sense (and certainly lined up with information she already knew), and Formora could tell Glace wasn't lying. She decided to relent. After all, Glace was one of them now.

She released Glace.

"I believe you."

* * *

Upon returning home, Formora went up to Intel to see if anything interesting was going on. There was no one in the meeting room except a very angry Shinx. Formora was almost certain she knew the cause.

"Him again?" she asked, pulling up a chair next to him.

"Yes! 'Go to Snowy Crevice', he said. 'The Champion is there', he said. Oh, there was a Champion there alright: you! Argh! I'm going to drop him as an informant; he's grossly unreliable," Shinx grumbled, burying his head in his paws.

An idea came to Formora, and she stood up. "I think I might have a solution. I'll be back. By the way, have you guys found the culprit yet?"

Shinx blinked. "Um, yes, the results of the poison came back last night. Oksana's right, as always. And what are you—"

Formora ignored his half-formed question, racing for the dungeon. As she hurried downstairs, however, she came upon Team Supernova in the hall.

"—You spend as much time training as you do with Kialandi, then we wouldn't be having this conversation! One more screw-up, and you're out!" Marvel was saying to a sobbing Cate.

"Y'know, Kia's been helping Cate train. He's done more for her than your yelling has," Formora said idly, strolling up to them. Troja and Marvel paled at the sight of their superior, but they stood firm.

"'Train'? She has barely improved," Troja snorted.

"She completed Tawny Savanna all by herself the other day. No bag, no items, just her skills. She even defeated a Liepard," Formora retorted.

Marvel laughed harshly. "Any Pokemon off the street could beat _that_ baby dungeon, as well as any boss foolish enough to make a home there. I suppose next you'll be saying she can complete Joyful Forest without breaking a sweat, hm?"

The tips of Cate's ears turned red, and she stared at her toes, biting her bottom lip.

"Anyway, we have things to do. Hurry up, Cate, or you'll make us late. _Again,"_ Marvel continued as the trio moved on.

Formora stared at their backs, frowning. She would make sure Troja and Marvel never harassed Cate again, and soon. But for now, she had more important errands to run.

Oksana was in between victims by the time Formora arrived. The Eelektross was handing a gore-covered bone saw to one of her assistants when Formora knocked on the wall.

"Oh, hello Formora~! Come to help me?" Oksana beamed.

"In a little bit. How did you know it was Drapion? Intel confirmed it just now."

"Ah, that. See, all I need to do ees ask one question: 'When I find the culpreet, what should I do weeth them?' Being famous has eets perks; everyone knows how much I _love_ traitors! So, those weeth gueelty consciences hope to try and *snort* _reason_ weeth me. 'They must have had a good reason', they tell me. 'You should get their side first before you do anything'. Nine out of ten times they're the gueelty ones. But don't go and spread that around, you hear? The fewer who understand counter-eenterrogation, the better," Oksana told her.

"I won't. By the way, do you know where hemlock grows? Shinx's favorite informant needs a dose or five."

"Hemlock, hmm…" Oksana thought, tapping her claws against the stony walls. "Ah! Some grows on top of Mt. Fuchsia, I believe. I'd geeve you some myself, but I used the last of my store thees morning. Eef you're going there, bring some for me too, please. But be careful: a tribe of Floette and their leader leeve there, and they don't like eentruders."

"I will, thanks. I'll be back later," Formora said, heading out the dungeon in search of her teammates.

* * *

 **Mt. Fuchsia ( watch?v=jfTdm8S2r_o)**

The dungeon was located amidst a small mountain range in the northeast. The path led through a grand valley before coming to a stop in front of a blanket of wisteria hanging from a nearby tree. A few pink flowers grew haphazardly all over the place, not seeming to care for order or keeping the path clear.

"Where's the entrance? Behind here?" Formora questioned, pulling the wisteria-tapestry back. Impenetrable darkness greeted her.

"Yep, there it is," she said, walking into the shadows.

 **1F-3F**

The dungeon was appropriately named; the color pink was everywhere! From the flowers growing on the floor and wall to the Pokemon themselves! Aromatisses, Spritzees, Cherrims, Shiinotics, and Lurantises abounded in this girlish place! Worst of all, though, were the Mimikyus. For some reason, there were Mimikyus wandering around, much to Formora's disgust. The living ragdolls were dressed mainly as their fellow dungeon Pokemon, oddly enough, but there were a few dressed as non-pink-or-purple Pokemon. Chills ran down Formora's spine whenever she saw one of the little freaks. She couldn't help but imagine that they were all Sophisticated Prick Mimikyu, and she always felt a great satisfaction in obliterating them whenever they tangled with Team R.

Aside from the ragdolls and overabundance of girly colors, the dungeon itself wasn't too special. The floor was mainly composed of dirt, with stone tiles and flowers growing here and there. The wall was comprised of bumpy gray rock, again with flowers growing in little niches. A crisp breeze wafted through the dungeon, bringing with it the scent of fresh air and—surprise—flowers.

Formora sneezed. She did not care much for this place.

 **4F**

"So uh, why exactly are we here again? You didn't give us much of an explanation," Kia asked during a lull in activity.

"Hm? Oh. I need hemlock, and it grows on the summit. Oksana's all out, and I thought I'd help Shinx out with his asset problem," Formora shrugged.

"Don't Floette live on the peak, though? Like, a bunch of them?" Firnen said nervously.

"That's what I was told. But don't worry, I have an idea," Formora replied. She put a hold on her explanation, for the trio had come upon the Stairs.

 **5F-8F**

She laid out her plan: as she would hold a Floette, Firnen would Guillotine her underneath the protection of his Protect. Kia's Earth Power would keep any rescuers at bay, as well as create an opening for Formora to catch the next one. Wash, rinse, repeat, and they'd be done in a flash.

The two dragons loved the idea of fairies not being able to attack them, and agreed to the plan whole-heartedly.

 **9F**

Someone was here with them. Both Formora and her team could sense the presence of a non-dungeon Pokemon nearby.

"Ooh, a warm-up before the boss fight! Isn't that lovely?" Formora grinned to her teammates, who mirrored her expression. Whoever was foolish enough to be around Team R would soon regret it.

Eagerly, the team explored every inch of the floor, searching for anyone who was out of place. But to their confusion, they couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. The closest thing they could find were the few Mimikyus dressed as non-pink or purple Pokemon. There was a 'Bagon', 'Torchic', and even a 'Buneary'.

Team Renegade scoured the floor until a faint breeze picked up, and with it the hint of something they did _not_ want to meet: the Wind.

"Where the hell _are_ they?!" Formora hissed after passing the starting chamber for the tenth time. "We've searched _everywhere_ ; where is the other party?"

"We should have stumbled across them ages ago. Let's leave before we get kicked out," Kia advised, fanning his wings nervously as the breeze strengthened.

Formora loathed the thought of giving up, but she had to admit there was no sign of the mystery party anywhere. She knew they were still here; their _presence_ had not subsided.

So where _were_ they?

"What if it's hiding from us?" Firnen suggested as the trio made their way for the Stairs. The breeze was strong enough to make their flight go faster, and the threat of the malicious entity's arrival was no small help either.

"Then why keep following us? It's got to have passed the Stairs. Argh, whatever, we don't have time for this. Whoever's behind it will answer to our fury one day, but right now—go!" Formora shouted, diving for the Stairs as the Wind made its entrance.

— **Waypoint—**

Thankfully, all three Renegades narrowly avoided the Wind's wrath. After their heartbeats settled, they took a look around.

A small room and a Kangaskhan statue greeted their arrival. The terrain was largely the same, except an abundance of the pink flowers from the entrance began to grow near the exit.

The team rested for a couple minutes, then they tapped the statue and went on their way.

 **Mt. Fuchsia Peak ( watch?v=3cUHflBUJEU)**

 **1F**

The floor was _covered_ in some kind of magenta flower, leaving absolutely no spot of dirt floor. The walls were two rock mesas stacked on top of each other, also covered in the same flower to a much lesser degree. There were a few small stone spires jutting out from the ground (thankfully not covered in magenta), as well as a few fuchsia plants. Pools of water lined the edges of the chamber.

Formora coughed as the stench of the place hit her nostrils. Whatever this new plant was, it smelled _awful_.

"My, that's a lot of mountain phlox," Kia observed, seemingly unperturbed by the smell or color.

"Is that what this is? I hate it," Formora growled, covering her nose.

"Yes, its scent is unfavorable to most. It grew near my childhood home. …Do you feel that?" Kia agreed, looking up into the air.

Formora noticed what he felt, and sighed angrily. The _presence_ was back. "Oh great! They followed us. Well, whatever, I don't care. We'll ambush them after we're done. I don't know. I just want to get out of this place."

She shoved past any dungeon foe who dared get in her way. Well, all except one. She did a double-take at the figure standing at a fork in the path.

It was a Froslass. No, wait, it was a ragdoll _dressed_ as a Froslass, of all Pokemon. What were the odds?

It blinked at her, then scurried down one of the paths. Slowly, Formora walked to where it had been standing, and peered down the hall it had run down. There was no sign of it anywhere.

"Huh, never seen a dungeon Pokemon run away. Maybe the sight of 'itself' scared it," Firnen said, coming to stand beside her.

"Maybe. I don't know. Let's just go," Formora said, taking the other path.

She never saw that particular Mimikyu again, nor did she find the Pokemon responsible for the _presence_.

 **2F-5F**

"I guess there's no point in kidnapping Shinies anymore," Formora sighed out of the blue.

"Why?" Firnen asked.

She rolled her eyes. Was it not obvious? "Because we know who the Light Champion is! The Banshee Litwick!"

"Ezra? Why do you—ah, I remember now. Didn't our leader say that he learned that your enemy's name is Ezra?" The slightly-more-intelligent Kia asked.

"Yes, he did. And she said it herself: she was the Champion! How stupid of her to tell me. I know she was trying to stall me on the cliff. Hah! What a waste of a card to play," Formora chuckled.

"Strange to think we've already fought her before," Firnen mused.

"It makes sense to me. With my line of work, our paths were bound to cross multiple times. I'm only sad that I haven't gotten the chance to play with her yet. Or the Pumpkaboo. I want to see if that one has pumpkin pulp for organs," Formora said with a cruel smile.

One day, she would get her wish.

 **6F**

"Do you know when Miles will admit that Drapion is the would-be murderer? It's been days," Firnen asked after a quick rest.

"Oh, Shinx confirmed it this morning. I wonder what kind of execution he'll get," Formora mused.

"Something lovely, I'm sure. Though we all know Jace will arrive as soon as Drapion's in rigor," Kia chuckled.

Formora snorted. He was entirely right, and she knew there were people already taking bets on how late he would be to the execution. The stupid Alakazam would definitely be late to his own funeral. Unless…

She smiled. She'd do Jace a favor and cure him of his tardiness tendencies. And she knew just how she'd do it.

 **7F-9F**

Not much of interest happened on the last few floors. Team Renegade were silent, saving their energy for the fight that was to come. Though they had a strategy, facing multiple fairies when there were two dragons would prove a challenge. Formora welcomed it, having been bored with the easy-for-her dungeon. Her strength made most battles child's play, but she yearned for a _real_ opponent to test her skills on.

Hopefully these Floette would provide one. She'd punish them all if they didn't.

 **Mt. Fuchsia Summit**

Well, the name was certainly apt. Fuchsia grew _everywhere_ along the summit, covering everything from the dirt floor to the gray rocks surrounding the ledge. Seriously, it was like a five-year-old girl oversaw the landscape!

Annoyingly-magenta scene aside, the mountain peak did provide an excellent view of the valley below. She could see the path they'd came on, the forest beyond…even the volcano of the Restored Haven, which was just a tiny little speck in the horizon.

Whatever, there was no sign of the Floette tribe anywhere, and while Formora was disappointed of their absence, she had a reason for being here.

"Fan out and search for hemlock," she instructed, going to the side of the mountain.

After a moment, she found that Oksana hadn't been lying; hemlock _did_ grow here! It was buried underneath the ungodly blanket of fuchsia, but it was here. She wasn't sure which part of the plant was poisonous, so she resorted to uprooting the entire thing and throwing it all in a pile.

"Ahem," A child's voice said behind her.

She turned, and found a red-flower Floette glaring at her. On the other side of the summit, five more Floette were surrounding her teammates.

Formora blinked. "Where'd you come from?"

"You're trespassing," the tiny fairy stormed, crossing her arms. "You must pay the price."

Formora yawned. "Do I look like I care, pipsqueak? Leave us alone, or I'll chuck you off the edge."

In response, the Floette summoned a fine pink mist and sent it at Formora. She easily evaded the attack, and lashed out her arm, catching the fairy by her neck.

She held the struggling Floette close to her face. "I warned ya, kid."

Then, without a moment's hesitation, Formora turned and threw the Floette off the mountain. The Floette's terrified shriek echoed for a second, before a dull crunching noise came from below.

Formora had seen ledges along the cliffside as she'd looked down at the valley. The Floette was probably too injured to move on its own, but it was most likely still alive.

She turned to the other four horrified Floette, beaming. "That was fun! So, who else wants to do stupid things?"

"RAHHH!" came a guttural cry.

The plants to Formora's left rustled, and a red Florges burst into the center of the peak. She pointed an accusatory finger at Formora.

"You…you will _pay_ ," she snarled.

Formora grinned. "Ooh! A volunteer~"

* * *

 **Boss Battle ( watch?v=PLkASaYjKlk)**

Florges dove for Formora, hurling a sphere of lunar energy at her. Formora, expecting the attack, easily ducked, and gave the flowery fairy an Ice Beam to the gut for her troubles.

"Gah!" Florges howled, stepping back from the icy blast.

"Kia! Firnen!" Formora shouted. Her teammates remembered their duties and dove to help their leader.

Kia's eyes glowed yellow, and a crack opened up in the middle of the cluster of fairies. All six of them were helpless to evade the golden essence of Earth Power, and most were sent sprawling backwards. Formora snatched up the closest one, shouting for Firnen to shield her.

He did, Protecting himself and Formora as his tusks elongated and glowed white. He crept closer, and Formora held the struggling Floette tightly in her hands. Meanwhile, Kia sent out Sonic Boom at the ground beneath the rest of the tribe; a warning shot.

"Buh-bye," Firnen snickered as he brought his tusks down upon the little Floette's head. She jerked once, then went completely still.

Firnen dispelled the Protect as Formora carelessly tossed the useless body aside.

"One down, five to go. Are you sure you still want to fight?" she purred, grinning at the group of horrified fairies. Their leader was the first tor recover.

"Fools! This is not over," she hissed, summoning up a pink mist and spreading it across the summit. The Terrain became pink and Misty, blending in with the natural environment.

Formora yawned. "I'm supposed to be scared of Misty Terrain? I'll have you know, Zygarde tried the same thing with Safeguard. And you know what? I _still_ froze her. Just like I'll freeze you. Speaking of—catch!"

She threw another Ice Beam at the Florges, but her foe managed to counter at the last second with Moonblast.

Kia flew behind them so the enemies were in between him and Formora. He caused the ground to open up again, and this time he sent a Sonic Boom into the midst of the gold light as well. Another Floette went flying, straight into Formora's waiting arms.

As soon as she caught the Floette, Firnen's Protect was back up.

"Ergh! Stop them!" Florges roared, turning her attention to Kia as the remaining three pounded angrily on the dome. Idiots, all of them; didn't they know it was almost impossible to break a Protect?

Once the second Floette was done, Formora sent the other three flying with a widespread Powder Snow. The trio somersaulted briefly before getting back up, each of them whipping up a Petal Blizzard. Formora let them, keeping her face carefully neutral as the sharp leaves lacerated her skin. Firnen didn't share her decision, he cursed underneath his breath at the storm of leaves.

The three Floette faltered when they saw their attacks seemed to have no effect on Formora, who smiled and asked if they could please use a stronger attack.

A wail from the other side of the summit made her look up. Florges had caught Kia by his legs, and was busy charging up for an extra-powerful Moonblast.

"Kia, I thought I told you to keep them _away_ from yourself," she said mildly, raising her arm and striking Florges on the back with Shadow Ball. To her credit, Florges barely flinched. She blasted Kia with the lunar sphere before turning back to Formora.

"Blast them," Florges growled, and she and her three Floette hurled four Moonblasts at Formora and Firnen.

Formora let herself be hit by Florges', wanting to see how strong the leader was. The blow made her see white for a second (and she'd definitely have a huge bruise on her cheek tomorrow), but apart from making her take a few steps back Formora was fine. Firnen, however, was gasping with pain.

Formora raised her eyes at Florges. "Huh, you're pretty strong! But, here's the thing."

She raced forward without warning, knocking aside Florges with Astonish as she swiftly grabbed the nearest Floette. She squeezed the tiny thing's carotid artery until it passed out, then tossed it into one of the bushes.

"I'm stronger."

She let herself be hit by Florges' enraged Moonblast once more, and this time she couldn't help but wince. Damn, that fairy knew how to hit!

Kia, having gotten over his injuries, promptly retaliated with another Earth Power, though the effort seemed to have cost him dearly. Florges must have thought he was KO'd, for she and the two Floette stumbled underneath the weight of the attack's power. Again, Formora lunged forward, nabbing another Floette. This one, sensing her impeding doom, didn't struggle, merely sent a fine green energy throughout the summit. The pink mist disappeared, replaced by an influx of springy grass.

A swift chop to the back of her neck rendered her unconscious, leaving only one more Floette and Florges.

The last Floette paled. "We're losing," she whispered.

"It's not over yet," Florges said grimly, gathering sunlight for another Solarbeam.

"Get that last one," Formora told Firnen idly.

Wincing, he nodded, and charged for the duo, his tusks glowing menacingly, as if in anticipation for the incoming Guillotine. The last Floette hit him with Moonblast, but to Firnen's credit he charged on, though he looked incredibly winded.

Florges finished charging and fired off the massive beam; not at Firnen, but at Formora. She managed to duck underneath the blast, feeling the heat of the attack wash over her back.

She looked up to see the Grass underneath Firnen's feet tie itself into a Knot, tripping him and causing hi to fall flat on his face.

Before the two fairies could do anything to the prone Fraxure, Formora distracted them by hitting both with Shadow Ball, screaming, "GRAB HER!"

The incredibly exhausted Firnen managed to snag the wincing Floette into his grasp. As he lifted her up to his tusks, Florges tried to stop him with Moonblast.

A choked gasp came from Firnen, but before he collapsed, he used the last of his energy to KO the last Floette. Formora watched emotionlessly as Florges finished him off.

Meanwhile, a very wounded Kia summoned up the energy for yet another Earth Power.

"Tenacious, aren't you?" Florges snorted, easily dodging the attack and smacking him with Moonblast. Kia crumpled to the ground, but somehow he wasn't down yet.

Florges stood over him, charging up for an extra-powerful Moonblast. She ignored the Ice Beam Formora sent at her, and a second later it was down to the two leaders.

"Your silly dragons are no match for me," Florges sniffed, twisting away from Formora's annoyed Ice Beam. She stood in the center of the summit, gathering solar energy.

"Luckily I'm not a dragon. Even if I was, I'm not scared of an overgrown weed," Formora retorted, throwing attack after attack at Florges while she was helpless to dodge.

Formora needed to end this, quick; Florges was no pushover, and using so many attacks was taxing. She wasn't as quick as she was before, and when Florges fired her Solarbeam, Formora was grazed. She fell to the ground, and as she tried to stand a Grass Knot sent her right back to it. She stayed there, pretending to crumple.

Florges snorted derisively. "You were saying?" she said, standing over Formora for a final blow.

Instead, Formora surprised her with a point-blank Ice Beam to the face. Florges cried out as the ice encased her completely.

Formora let out a sound that was something between a giggle and a cough. "And _you_ were saying?"

She waited until Florges had thawed a little bit before striking her exposed head with Shadow Ball. The blast had the unfortunate side-effect of cracking the ice, and Florges used it to break free.

Formora and Florges both stood facing each other, Formora charging for a critical Ice Beam and Florges charging for Solarbeam.

They threw their beams at one another, Solarbeam on top and Ice Beam at the bottom. Both women were hit by the other's attack, and both fell gracelessly to the ground.

* * *

After what felt like an eternity, Formora looked up, panting, waiting to see if Florges would rise. But the tribe leader stayed down, her eyes rolled back into her head.

Formora stood, spat, then grinned. "Well! That was fun, but I'm afraid I must be going. But first, I think I'll give you a little something to remember me by."

Kneeling over the unconscious Florges while munching on an Oran Berry, she took the defeated woman's fingers, and snapped them all in half. Then Formora delivered a quick chop to Florges' wrists, elbows, and shoulders until the Pokemon's arms were shaped like tree branches.

Then, just because she could, she went and did the same thig to the rest of the Floette.

Formora giggled. "There! Much better. Next time, _stay out of my way._ "

She went over to Kia and Firnen, nudging them until they woke. "Get up; we still need to transport all of these plants."

* * *

Shinx was very surprised when Formora came into the Intel room, trailing five hemlock plants behind her. She thrust them out to him.

"I'm back. Here: the solution to your asset problem. You're welcome."

Then, before he had the chance to reply, she spun and walked right down to the dungeon.

The rest of the poisonous plants had already been delivered to Oksana, who swept Formora into an embrace as soon as she'd caught sight of the Froslass.

"Oh _thank you_ for all of thees hemlock! Eet's more than I know what to do weeth! Ah, but I theenk between the two of us we'll find a good use for eet all, hm?" the Eelektross laughed.

A hard smile appeared on Formora's face. "Yes indeed. Let's go and figure out some new uses for it, shall we?"

Oksana's eyes danced with glee. "Yessss~"

"Oh, by the way, you meessed the declaration of Drapion's puneeshment. Our leader said that seence he likes to play weeth poison so much, then he'll learn to become eemmune to _all_ poisons known to Pokemon before he'll allow Drapion the sweet release of death. By poison, of course. So, now that you brought me more hemlock, I can get started right away~! Ah, but I want to show you something first," Oksana said as she led Formora deeper into the dungeon. She stopped in front of a large cell, and Formora peered inside, finding two Shiny Goomies huddled together in the back corner.

"Tweens, Formora! Tween Goomies, thanks to the people formerly of the Desert Veellage," Oksana said proudly.

"Pl-please don't hurt us," one of the Goomies whimpered, cowering back.

"You should know, I know who the Light Champ is now; turns out we've met before. You won't be having any new Shinies anymore," Formora said to Oksana, ignoring the pathetic plea of the captive.

"Aww, really?" Oksana pouted playfully. "Hmph. I guess I need to make mine last, then. Oh well! Good news, everyone~!" she continued, speaking loudly for the whole cell block to hear. "You all can rest assured that your patheteec leettle lives are being extended for years to come! Say 'thank you, Meess Oksana'."

There was no sound from anywhere. Oksana merely opened a nearby cell door and hauled out its occupant, holding it out in her hands where all of the prisoners could see. She was holding a squirming pink Jumpluff, who went dead still when one of Oksana's claws hooked itself right underneath its eye.

"I said, _say 'thank you, Meess Oksana'_ ," she growled.

A mumbled, frightened chorus of 'thank you Miss Oksana's came from the cell block. Oksana beamed, throwing the Jumpluff back into the cell.

"You're very welcome! We're all going to be friends for a _long_ time. And I know just who I want to get to know better," Oksana continued, grabbing one of the Goomy twins.

"DON'T HURT ME!" she screamed. She quieted down to a whimper fraught with hiccups as Oksana hugged her, stroking her head gently.

"Shh, shh, don't be afraid. We're not going to hurt _you_ ," she smiled deep into the Goomy's eyes.

Formora couldn't help but giggle.

* * *

Once Formora and Oksana had enough fun with the other twin, they washed the blood off of themselves in the small shower room near the entrance. Formora was loath to end her joy, but she had to admit, she was _tired_. The other Goomy had been sent up to the infirmary to be patched up, while her traumatized sister was sent back to her cell. When Formora and Oksana left, she was curled up in a corner, rocking back and forth as her feeble mind tried to process the horrific (but fun) events that she had been forced to witness.

"So…you and Sonya are from another land, right? What's it like?" Formora said conversationally, scrubbing at a stubborn bloodstain on her shoulder while fighting back a yawn.

"Rossiya? Eet's a northern country, and _very_ cold. You'd like eet there. Eet's mountainous, and the far north ees eempossible to eenvade during the depths of weenter. No, really. Two hundred years ago, a neighboring country tried to eenvade us een December. We seemply packed our things, went north, and waited eet out. The 'eenvasion' only lasted a week," Oksana chuckled.

"Didn't you leave because of an invasion though?"

"Mm, I suppose you could call ceeveel war an eenvasion of sorts. Certainly, Son and I's home was eenvaded. And the King's palace too, before he was defenestrated by the rebels…"

"De-what?"

"Defenestrated. Eet means 'to throw someone out a weendow'."

"That's…very specific."

"But accurate! See, eet also means 'to remove someone from power'."

"So…which definition happened?"

"Both~!"

"I see…"

* * *

On her way to her room, however, she saw a strange sight. Kia and Cate were walking in the opposite direction, holding hands and looking at each other with sappy smiles. Now what was all this about?

"What's going on here?" she asked.

They were so focused on each other they hadn't noticed Formora's approach. They jumped in surprise, and looked at her, faces rapidly turning red.

"Oh, Formora! Um, it's nothing. We were about to take a stroll along the beach," Kia said, not meeting her eyes.

"Why?"

"Because we're together!" Cate blurted out. She paused. "O-oh, I didn't mean to—well, actually, it feels really nice to say that out loud…"

"Indeed," Kia agreed, squeezing her hand. "Are you off to bed, Milady?"

"'Together'?" Formora said, raising an eyebrow and ignoring his question. She'd seen how sappy Pokemon got when they were in love. Take Evan the Stupid Mercenary, for example; he'd gone mushy and weak in his attempts to woo her. She did _not_ need that kind of distraction in her team. If Kia was too focused on Cate to do his job, then she'd have him transferred back to Sealed Abyss with no regrets.

"Yes. We are," Kia nodded. He sounded surprised, as if he'd never expected to hear himself say that. "But we're both still dedicated to our teams. We won't let it affect our work, I promise."

"You'd better not," Formora frowned, crossing her arms. "You remember Evan, Kia? If you end up like him you can say goodbye to your position here. I've no use for soft weak fools."

"You have no reason to worry, I swear," Kia said quickly. She knew he would never do anything to jeopardize his place here (or with his new place with Cate), so she dropped it.

"Good. Now, go enjoy your walk. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, continuing on to her room.

"Goodnight," Kia and Cate chorused.

* * *

 **Fun fact: Shiny Zygarde looks almost exactly like a white-flower Florges.**

 **The next post will include: A helpful note, fun with lighthouses, and the return of Formora's side-project.**


	39. Chapter 39

When Formora emerged from her bedroom, she found a letter on her vanity. It was unsigned, and all it said in an elegant, gold script were the words, "Devilish Cliff". The handwriting was familiar, but then again every fancy handwriting looked the same to her.

She went back into her room, pulling out her map of the continent. She scanned it carefully, and settled on a dungeon overlooking the east coast. She looked back at the letter, thinking carefully.

Someone wanted her to go to this Devilish Cliff place, but for what purpose?

Well, there was only one way to find out…

* * *

 **Devilish Cliff ( watch?v=AJhco0m1LTs)**

Devilish Cliff seemed to live up to its name. The dungeon entrance lay at the bottom of a tall cliff near the ocean, surrounded by a few tiny cacti. The sandy area wasn't sturdy, and Formora easily broke off a chunk of the wall. Boulders littered the ground, most of them crumbling away into dust when touched.

Formora looked out at the ocean, where she could see a few dark clouds off in the horizon.

"We'd better hurry if we want to avoid that downpour," she advised, watching a faint flash of lightning streak through the sky.

"Must we go into this unstable place? This all reeks of a trap," Kia asked nervously, fanning his wings.

"You survived the Deadlands, didn't you? This is nothing. Stop being a baby," Formora snapped as she entered.

 **1F-3F**

The dungeon didn't collapse on them, which was nice. Some of the passageways had caved in, creating sudden dead-ends, but thankfully Team Renegade never experienced any for themselves. The floor was made of tan stone, with limestone walls and cacti everywhere.

Not all of the cacti were what they seemed. Maracti liked to freeze in place, then attack any unsuspecting Renegade who walked into their range. Aside from having to be wary of cacti, most of the Pokemon were of little worry to Team R. True, Formora did have to worry a bit about the Golems and Onixes, but that was what her teammates were for: taking hits for her! The other dungeon foes, Sandslashes and Trapinches, she could KO in her sleep.

 **4F**

 _I'd love to be able to use Snow Cloak more,_ Formora thought wistfully after watching a Trapinch trap Firnen in a giant hole in the ground. So many Pokemon got to use their Abilities, but Formora was limited to snowy dungeons and Hail Orbs in order to use hers.

 _I need to learn Hail._

She started watching the enemies capable of using Sandstorm, observing how they changed the weather.

 **5F-8F**

The ground-type foes continued to whip up Sandstorms whenever they could. Formora hated having to shield her face with her Bow, as it made distinguishing the Maracti from actual cacti impossible. There was many a time where she strode near a Maractus, thinking it was harmless, only to be surprised by a Giga Drain.

But while the sand annoyed her, it did provide her plenty of opportunities to observe how the foes used Sandstorm. Their eyes glowed blue, then they spun around quickly, flinging sand into the air. One would expect the sand to eventually fall due to gravity, but the grains stayed in the air, whipping everything in its radius mercilessly.

It didn't seem that difficult a move to learn. Hell, even _she_ could probably do it if she wanted to. But it was Hail she was after, not Sandstorm.

 **9F**

"So, how many Pokemon have you and Oksana killed so far? A hundred? A thousand?" Firnen asked after they arrived on the floor.

"None, actually; she does all the killing," Formora replied, spotting a Maractus pretending to be a normal cactus. She gave it a wide berth.

"Really? With your love of misery and suffering I figured your kill count would be almost as high as hers by now," Kia said.

She shrugged. "I've been told that you eventually have to kill more and more elaborately in order to feel the same high as you did in the beginning. When I murder Ezra, I want it to be special. I want her to be my very first kill. That way I'll be certain to feel the rush. No other kill afterwards will ever come as close to how I'll have felt then, but that's okay. She's my mortal enemy; I deserve to bask in her death."

— **Waypoint—**

A Kangaskhan statue greeted their arrival, and her teammates flopped to the ground with a groan.

"Ah, finally, a rest," Kia murmured happily, closing his eyes.

Formora slapped both of them. "I want to see why exactly I was summoned here, and I may be on a time limit. Now stand up and get going!"

"But aren't you tired, Formora?" Firnen protested as he begrudgingly got to his feet.

She was a little, but she wasn't about to admit that. Rather than say anything, she merely turned and marched deeper into the dungeon.

 **Devilish Clifftop ( watch?v=Hd7dmZrBJl4)**

 **1F-4F**

Surprise surprise, the floor was now made of sand. Formora wasn't bothered by it, and she was amused by watching Firnen stumble across the uneven ground. However, quicksand had begun to appear near the walls, along with Gabites. The Cave Pokemon provided minimal fun for her and moderate challenge for her teammates, so it wasn't like anything important had changed.

The dungeon rumbled every now and then, but thankfully nothing happened afterward, unlike the Deadlands…

However, on 2F they sensed a presence, though scour as they might they could not find the cause of the feeling. It reminded Formora distinctly of yesterday, and the thought of someone stalking her aggravated her.

In the end, she was forced to give up the search, for she was beginning to sense the presence of a very malicious entity…

 **5F**

She'd found a Gray Gummi lying in a gigantic chamber. While the boys held off an ornery Onix, she gave the end of it a tiny nibble. She didn't recognize the taste, which was akin to salt being mixed with cornmeal.

"What does this taste like?" she asked Firnen, holding it out as he returned to her side.

He took a bite, scrunched up his face in thought, then laughed. "Oh, I get it! It's plain grits!"

Wordlessly, Formora snatched the Gummi from his hand, chucked it into the nearest quicksand puddle, and stalked off.

 **6F-7F**

While the dungeon ceased to change, the weather certainly did. If the dungeon Pokemon weren't kicking up Sandstorms, it was incredibly cloudy. There must be a storm approaching; she had seen clouds off in the distance before she'd entered, after all.

She didn't mind, though. If a fight broke out at the end of the dungeon, then the rain would turn the ground to mud, making whoever she was fighting sloppy. Perhaps they'd even fall off the cliff.

She smiled. Perhaps, even, they could be _helped_ off the cliff.

 **8F**

They'd found the Stairs, but an Onix was determined to prevent their descent. Its eyes glowed blue, and it flung a cloud of sand around with its tail.

 **Weather Condition: Sand**

Formora, blinded, was helpless to stop it from slamming its entire body into her, sending her flying until she crashed against the far wall. The move was Double-Edge, but still, being hit by an Onix then a wall _hurt!_

Dazed, she fell to the ground, where she lay for several moments. When she got up, though, she'd decided that she'd had enough of Sandstorm.

She dove deep into her senses, to the part of her that was connected to ice and snow and allowed her to use ice-type moves. She willed that power to surge forward into the sky, where it would rain down mercilessly upon her enemies.

Her power obeyed, surging to the tips of her fingers, waiting to be released. She directed it upwards, where a blue light shot from her fingertips and disappeared against the roof of the dungeon.

The Sandstorm dissipated, and inexplicably gray clouds spread across the ceiling, and soon ping-pong ball-sized chunks of hail began falling.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

She gaped at what she'd done, awed by how _easy_ it had been to summon up the hailstorm. All she did was copy the Sandstorm-users, but with an icy twist of her own.

A grin stretched across her face, and without a thought she disappeared from sight. She raced for the Onix, reappearing long enough to hit it from behind with Ice Beam. The Onix roared in surprise and turned to attack her, but she was gone before it could do so. She dove to the other side of it, pelting it again with Ice Beam.

Again and again she did that, evading its attacks with the help of the hail. The Onix stood no chance against her evasion, and it was all too easy to defeat.

"We should probably discuss strategy in case we need to fight…" Kia began as Formora kept on disappearing and reappearing.

"Easy! I use Hail, and boom—instant win!" she laughed, skipping merrily through the halls and leaving her teammates behind.

 **Devilish Peak**

Finally, they'd arrived! The clifftop overlooked the ocean, whose waves were churning angrily from the incoming storm, which was only minutes away. A bright flash of lightning whizzed through the clouds, and a moment later the ground nearly shook from the resulting thunderclap.

Unceremoniously, a piece of the cliff's edge tumbled away into water below, creating a familiar rumbling as the rocks crashed against the wall before plunging into the ocean. At least Formora now knew where the sound had been coming from.

Near the edge, however, were a sleeping Weavile, Mismagius, and Lumineon. They stirred, beginning to come out of their slumber.

Formora felt adrenaline course through her, and at once she dove for the three hated foes.

* * *

 **Boss Battle ( watch?v=m1nRuWqW09Q)**

 **Weather Condition: Cloudy**

She immediately flung Shadow Ball at Luna, nailing her straight in the face. The Mismagius somersaulted across the rocky landscape, but alas she did not topple over the edge as Formora had hoped.

Cresselia's agents woke completely at their leader's cry, and gaped at seeing Team Renegade.

"Team Renegade? But how could you have found us? We were so careful!" Selene gasped.

"Not careful enough~" Formora sang as she summoned a hailstorm. The sky darkened further, and all but Umbra and Formora were pelted with hail.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

"Did you—ow!—have to do that at the beginning of the fight?!" Firnen complained, shielding his head with his arms.

Formora didn't answer him; she weaved past every attack the Lunar Wind threw at her, basking in the power that was Snow Cloak. However, she was forced to reappear as the most horrid sound she'd ever heard pierced her eardrums. It was coming from Luna; red soundwaves pulsed from her mouth and made everyone flinch from the lachrymose song. The song drained Formora's will to fight, made her want to curl up and weep. But Luna was affected by her own Perish Song as well. Though a pained look was on her face, she kept up her awful singing.

The other two foes seemed to be used to fighting while under the effect of Perish Song, for while their faces looked grim, they kept fighting. Umbra dove for Formora while Selene traded blows with Firnen and Kia. Formora was too slow to dodge, and her body was raked all over by his X-Scissor.

Gritting her teeth, she managed to summon up the energy for Shadow Ball, and chucked it at Luna. The Ball collided with her, and the fighters were freed at last from Perish Song. Umbra geared up for another strike, but Formora sent him stumbling backwards with a sharp punch to his face.

"Gah!" he sputtered, holding his hands up to his face, where bright red blood began oozing from his nose. Formora easily landed an Ice Beam onto him.

She felt a Shadow Ball hit her from behind, and while she faltered for a second she kept standing. She turned to the ghostly culprit, noticing Selene blow a juicy red kiss to Firnen after being hit by Dragon Claw.

"Come on, cutie, is that how you treat a lady?" she said in a sultry voice, fluttering her lashes at him. The kiss landed on his cheek, and he hesitated.

"You're…really pretty," the stupid oaf said.

"I know," Selene winked as she blasted him with Water Pulse.

The ground then opened up beneath her, and at once she was engulfed in the Power of the Earth. She shrieked, and Formora lost interest, turning her attention back to Luna.

The Mismagius began chanting in a foreign language. A white aura pulsed from her mouth to envelop the entire clifftop before dissipating.

"As if Lucky Chant will save you from me," Formora chuckled before throwing a Shadow Ball at her.

Luna ducked underneath the attack, and sent out colorful leaves that homed in on Formora. She tried to dodge using Snow Cloak, but the Magical Leaf seemed to know exactly where she was. She grimaced as the sharp leaves lacerated her skin.

Luna then began her Perish Song again. Formora flinched, covering her ears in a vain attempt to block out the cacophonous noise. But the song seemed to permeate her skin until her entire _body_ rung with the horrible notes.

She was helpless before Umbra's X-Scissor and as she fell she saw him send out golden chains that latched onto Team R's discarded bag before disappearing.

"You really think…we're so desperate …that we'd use _items?!"_ she panted, throwing another Shadow Ball at Luna. Thankfully, the attack landed, and the wench shut up.

"Better safe than sor—ack!" Umbra yelled as he was bathed in Kia's Dragon Breath.

Her teammate looked like he'd seen better days. She hadn't been paying much attention to him or Firnen as they battled Selene, but it seemed like both they and the Lumineon were equally tired.

Formora threw Shadow Balls at both Luna and Umbra. They evaded, and Formora spotted Selene Bouncing high into the air.

"Kia, stop her!" she yelled, weaving past Umbra's X-Scissor.

The Vibrava obeyed, catching up to her and hitting her with Dragon Breath. She watched the Lumineon fall gracelessly to the ground, but not before she sent a kiss Kia's way.

Selene landed harshly, creating a hole a foot deep. Kia landed nearby, looking confused.

"Hey pretty boy, how ya doing…?" Selene said faintly as she crawled out of the hole.

"Cate…" Kia said.

"She's nothing. Focus on _me,_ handsome," Selene continued, getting her momentum back.

"Cate…" Kia repeated, looking incredibly conflicted.

"For the love of _He Who Is,_ Kia!" Formora snapped as she dove in front of Umbra's Dark Pulse. It was aimed at Firnen, but Formora desperately needed the health.

The blow hit her, but instead of pain, all she felt was new energy coursing through her body. She laughed, punching Umbra again before throwing a surprise Shadow ball at Luna. The leader of the LW was knocked to the ground, and as Formora pinned her down she spotted Firnen assault Umbra with a series of blows.

 **Weather Condition: Cloudy**

Oh, had the hail ended? She'd fix that, but not after dealing with Luna.

Luna tried to sing, but Formora put her hand over her mouth. Formora jabbed Luna's eye with two of her fingers, sending them as deep as she could into Luna's eye socket. Luna convulsed, and a muffled scream came out from underneath Formora's hand. She giggled, but the giggle turned into a shout as a blast of Silver Wind swept her off of Luna.

"If you guys would stop staring at Selene like slack-jawed idiots, I could use your help!" she shouted angrily, jumping away from another blast of Silver Wind.

The ground underneath Selene and Umbra opened, and both Pokemon were enveloped in Earth Power.

"I thought you liked me," Selene pouted at Kia, who then faltered.

"I do," he said.

Formora rolled her eyes as she summoned back the hail.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

Her Ability activated at once, and she barely dodged Umbra's X-Scissor. She heard Firnen's shout as he was hit instead. She tackled Selene to the ground, grabbing a sharp rock and bringing it down upon her. The slippery fish managed to wiggle away, but Formora was able to tear one of her fins with the rock. Selene quickly blasted Formora with Water Pulse, and she heard Luna begin to sing again.

She watched helplessly as Kia succumbed to the Perish Song after being struck by Umbra's Night Slash. The Weavile spun on his feet and shot a Dark Pulse at Firnen, who fell too.

"USELESS!" Formora roared, her rage overcoming Perish Song's effects. She hurled an Ice Beam at Luna, whose energy had been significantly drained from all those Songs. The Mismagius fell instantly, and she threw a Shadow Ball at Selene, who crumpled as well.

She ducked underneath Umbra's X-Scissor, punching him yet again as he passed overhead. His nosebleed started anew, and she dealt blow after blow into him, consumed completely by the need to _hurt_. She laughed manically as Umbra fell victim to her neverending attacks. He was the only LW member left standing—he deserved something special!

Finally, Umbra collapsed, panting heavily. The still-giggling Formora delicately picked up his left arm, then using all her strength, she snapped it in half.

Umbra screamed briefly before his eyes rolled back into his head. She dropped his limp body—and was blasted with what felt like Water Pulse.

She turned, and saw Selene still standing, though she looked as if the attack had overextended herself.

Formora walked over to her, and stood over Selene.

"I've…got more of that…in me," Selene said through gritted teeth.

Emotionlessly, Formora extended her hand, and nailed Selene with Shadow Ball.

* * *

Selene fell for real, gasping like the fish out of water that she was. A bolt of excitement shot through Formora, thrilled beyond belief to see the Lunar Wind defeated at last.

"Haha! Oh, I will have so much fun today~!" she laughed, tears in her eyes. She stared at the fallen trio, a bloodthirsty glint in her eyes.

"Now, shall we begin?" she said in a low, hungry tone as she knelt down to pick up a sharp-looking rock. Slowly and menacingly, she walked towards the trio.

"It's…not over yet," Umbra wheezed, fishing around in his bag with his good arm. He pulled out a Luminous Orb.

"No!" Formora yelled, diving for him as he smashed the orb to pieces. A bright flash of light illuminated the cliff, blinding Formora. She closed her eyes, but even that was no protection from the white glare.

She heard another orb shatter, and when the light faded she looked around, blinking from the tears in her eyes. It was hard to see past them, but she could at least tell that the Lunar Wind were gone.

She fell to her knees, dropping the rock. "No!" she whispered. Then, at the top of her lungs, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

An icy rage befell her, and she stood as abruptly as she'd fallen. She turned around, and found her teammates standing there like idiots.

"Why aren't you two looking for them?" she asked in a deadly-calm voice.

The boys flinched, and left the dungeon.

She turned again, facing the ocean. She had a feeling they wouldn't find the LW, even with the injuries she'd given them.

She screamed one more, this time putting all of her anger and frustration into it. Why was it that whenever she was _this close_ to destroying her enemies, they managed to escape?

 _I knew you were a failure,_ a male voice said. She jumped, whipping around to see who had spoken. But there was no one else with her on the cliff. Besides…though it had been five years since she'd last heard it, that voice had sounded like her father's.

 _But that's impossible,_ she thought wildly, _he's in Castelia, in another dimension!_

The thought of him being _here_ was incredibly disturbing, and she hurried out the dungeon, taking one last look behind her to make sure that no one was there.

* * *

The storm was almost upon them as they ran down the coastline, back to their island. Formora spotted a light up ahead, and as they approached she saw that it was a lighthouse. She looked out at the ocean, and saw a few ships hoping to pull in before getting caught by the weather. An idea came to her, and after this waste of day she _needed_ it dammit.

"Hey, let's go have some fun," she said to Kia and Firnen as she ran for the entrance to the lighthouse.

It was unlocked, and she and her teammates stealthily crept up the long flights of stairs until finally they made it to the top. A lone Ampharos was busy tending to the light. He didn't notice the three Renegades watching from the shadows of the doorway. Formora held her hand out, and Kia silently placed an orb in her palm. She chucked it at the Ampharos, where he was immediately engulfed in rainbow glitter. He didn't even have time to scream before the One-Shot Orb did its work.

They left him alone, instead shattering the lightbulb and plunging the tower into darkness.

"All well and good, but what was the point?" Kia asked.

Formora grinned at him, though he'd only be able to make out her silhouette. "Follow me and see!"

She led them to a section of the shore where jagged rocks jutted out from the water like Sharpedo teeth dozens of kilometers into the ocean.

"Break all of our Luminous Orbs right here, then run south," she directed.

They obeyed, and the flash of light from five Luminous Orbs was bright enough to blind even a Zubat. But Team Renegade were already facing away from the glare by that time. Though they were shielded from most of the light, it was still bright enough to make Formora's eyes water.

They ran south for a about a mile before Formora stopped. As the rain began to fall from the heavens, she pointed towards the glow from the orbs.

She and her teammates watched, fascinated, as the ships pulling in mistook the orbs' light for the safety of the lighthouse's, and crashed right into the rocks.

Even from a mile away they could hear the cacophony of the rocks scraping up against the sides of the ships. The sound was not unlike that of a nail against a chalkboard, but Formora did not flinch. She watched the silhouettes of the boats as more and more rocks tore against the hulls. She thought she could even hear the cries of the sailors, asking for help, the ship was sinking…

After a while, wreckage from the ships began to drift her way. She picked through the pieces, but found nothing of interest. She smiled, faintly. This almost made up for earlier.

* * *

Upon returning, Formora headed straight for the dungeon. She was interrupted by an unwanted face exiting from the trampoline room.

The Pokemon, an orange-flower Floette, beamed when she spotted Formora.

"Formyyyy! It's been, like, _so long!_ " Flora exclaimed, embracing Formora in a tight hug.

Before Formora could strangle the aggravating Floette for her violation of personal space, she continued, "Do you remember our plan to see if Sliggoo likes me? Well, he totally does! I always see him around, so _obviously_ he's following me! Teehee, isn't that cute? He's too shy to tell me how he feels! Not that I can blame him. I've gone through _so_ many different diets and rituals to keep myself in perfect health! My aura has never been pinker!"

Formora was lost for a moment, then she recalled what she'd been planning on doing. She'd been avoiding Flora for her own sanity, but now?

She plastered on the fakest, widest smile she could manage, and returned Flora's hug.

"Oh my goshhhh, Floraaaa! I've missed youuuu!" she gushed, copying the idiot's manner. "And of _course_ he likes you! Listen, together we're going to make him yours forever and ever! Unfortunately, I have to go do something, but hit me up next time you're free. We'll make you _perfect_. You've done great work so far in making yourself desirable, but there's still a lot of work to do. Your personality's good, but your body could use a few more adjustments."

"What do you mean?" Flora asked, looking down at her body.

Formora patted Flora's head. "Don't worry about it for now. When I'm done helping you, every boy in the building will be competing for your attention! Goodnight, Flora."

Formora strode into the dungeon, leaving the Floette standing there, alone and confused.

* * *

The next couple of hours were spent in utter joy. Oksana was busy when she'd arrived, but Seviper told her that she was more than welcome to play with the desert Pokemon, as long as they weren't killed. Formora didn't mind, since the rule lined up with her own desires. There'd been a Shiny Charmeleon amidst the new captives, an ornery one who tried to roast Formora with Flamethrower.

Fifteen minutes and a pair of pliers later, the Charmeleon went from roaring curses at her to begging for mercy.

She moved on next to the physically-healthy Goomy twin. She didn't do anything to her; Formora merely made her watch as she slowly removed the fingers and toes from a Mime Jr. who was similar in age to the Goomy. Oksana joined once the Goomy was again reduced to a shuddering blob of I'm-anywhere-but-here, and together she and Formora had great fun with the other captives, including force-feeding poisoned berries to Drapion.

After a long while, she retired to her room. Before she went to bed, however, she took out a piece of paper. After she was finished writing what she had to say, she bade Teysa send it out as soon as possible.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face, pleased with the development of her plans.

* * *

 **Rocky/sandy dungeons are no fun to create. There's nothing but sand, rocks, and maybe a few cacti in their natural biomes :/**

 **The next post shall include: Kia and Firnen's old base, a rainbow bird, and the guardian of the sea.**


	40. Chapter 40

_It was so hot today. She couldn't help but glance enviously inside the diner she stood in front of. It looked so cool in there, and everyone had yummy-looking drinks. Just watching someone sip their drink was enough to remind her that her throat was all scratchy and dry. She peeked down inside the pocket of her dress. She was sorely tempted to use some of the precious money she'd raised to go inside and buy a drink, but Daddy would be angry._

 _Daddy was angry a lot, but sometimes, if she brought home a lot of money, he'd be happy. He'd laugh and hug her, and tell her that she was such a good little girl. Whenever he hugged her, it made her feel so special. She could forget that she was always hungry. She'd do_ anything _to make Daddy smile again and tell her that he loves her._

 _But she was so thirsty…_

 _As the sun beat down upon her brow, she made a decision and entered the diner. It was cold inside, like winter. How did they make it winter when it was summer? She was born in winter; did that mean she was seven now? She'd have to ask Daddy later._

 _She walked up to the counter, and as she passed everyone wrinkled their noses. That happened a lot, though she wasn't sure why. She knew she was dirty, but then again most of the city was dirty too._

" _I wanna drink," she told the lady behind the counter. It was hard getting the words out of her dry throat, but she managed._

" _Of course. What kind?" the lady smiled, though her nostrils flared._

" _Um...The yummiest one," she decided._

" _Hmm…how does fruit punch sound? Do you have the money to pay for it?" the lady asked._

" _I think so?" she reached into her pocket and put all the money she'd raised onto the counter._

" _You do! Here you go," the lady took most of the money and put a cup underneath some sort of machine. The machine buzzed, and red liquid came out into the cup._

 _The lady handed her the cup, and she took it and the rest of her money and sat near the door._

 _As she sipped the drink, squealing in delight at the sweet flavor, she thought hard. Daddy would definitely be angry if she came home with so little money. She'd have to work extra hard to make up for the drink. But Daddy would understand that she needed it. Once she told him about how hot it was, he'd pat her head and say that's alright, you were thirsty. I'm proud of you for doing it all by yourself._

 _After finishing her drink, she went back outside into the scorching heat (now it was summer again!). A man was walking down the street, and she ran up to him, asking if he could give her some money._

 _She went home once the sun went to bed. Daddy was in the living room, staring at a piece of paper with a pained look on his face. He looked up as she arrived._

" _Well?" he asked curtly, as he always did._

 _She took out all the money she earned and handed it to him, as she always did. He looked through it, then flung it at her. She shrieked, crouching down into a ball._

" _You useless girl! You had an entire day—how could you have brought me so little?!" he roared, flinging a cushion at her._

" _I was thirsty!" she cried, shielding her face with her hands. "It was so hot! The sun wouldn't stop!"_

 _He slapped her. She screamed, tears streaming down her face._

" _You bitch! I don't care if it was hot, your_ SIMPLE _job was to get money and bring it here, not spend it all! Thanks to you, I'm not going to eat for another day!" he yelled._

 _Then he sat down and cried too._

" _I knew you were a failure," he sobbed. She knew better than to be around him, so she ran to her room._

I need to do better, _she thought as she sniffed and hiccupped quietly, lest she attract his rage again._

I have to.

* * *

Formora woke at once in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. She had to look around to make sure she wasn't back in Castelia, that she was still a Froslass. Her heart still raced, and she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Instead, she curled up in her bed, trying to recall happier memories. She spotted her switchblade, her only physical link to her former life, still lying on her nightstand. She took it, opening and closing it repeatedly.

The storm had passed during the night, leaving behind a bright sunny day. Most of the Pokemon at the compound had decided to celebrate by having a giant picnic down at the beach. Formora had no desire to join, but she supposed that as Champion, she probably should look like a team player. So, with a reluctant sigh, she headed down for the beach.

There was a rainbow in the sky, and above it was the faintest outline of another one.

"Hey, look at that! Looks like ol' Ho-oh's still got some influence!" Axel joked.

"I'm surprised; the guards down at Sealed Abyss are merciless. Not half as good as you, though, 'Sana," Firnen said quickly as Oksana passed.

She chuckled as she sat down by her sister near the shoreline, popping a carrot stick into her maw.

"Ho-oh…doesn't he have a legendary connected to him?" Formora asked from the shade of the mountain. It was much too hot for her liking, though everyone else seemed content to splash around in the water.

"Yes, Lugia. He's the guardian of the sky, she's the guardian of the sea," Shinx nodded as he padded up to her and sat down. "I want to thank you for what you did for me the other day. I took your advice, as it were. No problems since. My migraine's finally gone away."

"Whatever. What side is Lugia on?" Formora persisted.

Shinx blinked. "Um, she declared herself an enemy shortly after Ho-oh did, actually."

Formora stood at once. "Where does she live?"

"Uh…not sure. She keeps to herself. I suppose Ho-oh might know, but—hey, where are you going?!"

Formora ran over to Kia, who was busy burying Cate in the sand.

"We're going on a mission. Say bye to Cate," she told him.

"Right now? But we're having such a great time," Kia protested.

"Don't care! Get the bag. Go have fun with someone else, Cate," Formora snapped as she ran towards Firnen and smacked his plate out of his hands.

"Hey!" he protested.

"Deal with it. We're going on a mission."

"But—"

" _NOW._ "

* * *

 **Sealed Abyss ( watch?v=-gLy71SQu8U)**

Her teammates reluctantly led her to the site of their former home, Sealed Abyss. It was in the north, just a few short hours away from Snowy Crevice in fact. There was a delightful chill in the air, and everyone's breath was faintly visible in the afternoon light.

Kia and Firnen led her out of a dense forest, where a giant crack in the earth greeted their arrival.

"Halt! Who goes there?" a gruff voice rang out as they approached the abyss.

"Palpy, is that you? It's us, Kia and Firnen!" Firnen called out.

There was a moment's pause, then a fat Palpitoad hopped down from a nearby branch.

"Hey, good to see you two again! What brings you back here?" the Palpitoad boomed, embracing the dragons.

Kia gestured to Formora. "Our Lady wishes to speak with Ho-oh. We apologize for not giving Lord Yveltal any notice."

Palpitoad bowed low to her. "It's a great honor to receive the beloved Champion of Darkness. Of course Lord Yveltal will understand. Shall I lead you through the dungeon?"

Formora snorted as she walked past him. "Don't be ridiculous. I've no need or want of an escort."

"O-of course, My Lady. Kia, Firnen, it was nice seeing you again," Palpitoad stammered before he resumed his guard position.

Formora peered down into the abyss. She could only see for about half a mile before everything else was swallowed up by darkness. She threw a pebble down, but couldn't hear it land.

The dungeon entrance was only a set of steps carved into the rock leading down into the darkness. A few flowers grew precariously near the edge.

"How many floors is it?" she asked.

"30," Firnen supplied.

"Hm. Let's get going, then."

 **B1F**

To her displeasure, it was warmer inside than it was outside. Polished saffron stone made up the floor, and though it was rather shiny there were a few cracks here and there. The tan walls had signs of breakage as well. Huge stalagmites and boulders littered the ground, making Formora's skin crawl with claustrophobia.

"Did we have to do this now? We were having a good time at the beach," Firnen complained as Formora picked a path to go down.

"Yes. Ho-oh stayed at his place when he declared himself an enemy, and now he's a prisoner of the Dark. If Lugia had any sense, she's left too. But maybe not. Or maybe she left a clue of her whereabouts, in case her allies ever needed her," Formora nodded.

"Will this take all day? Cate and I have a reservation at Le Restaurant Chic tonight," Kia pouted.

Formora rolled her eyes. "Don't know, don't care. What did I say about letting your love life interfere with Team Renegade?"

"It wouldn't..." Kia mumbled, looking down.

"I thought so."

 **B2F-B4F**

A lot of the foes were fiery in nature. There were Machamps, Swoobats, and Arboks, which Formora could take down without breaking a sweat. But the Charizards, Camerupts, and Houndooms provided a bit more a challenge. So, naturally, she had Kia and Firnen at the front lines while she finished up from a safe distance. Her teammates sustained some burns, but that's what Rawst Berries and Heal Seeds were for.

On B4F, she spotted a Purple Gummi in the next room they came to. As she walked towards it, though, the ground suddenly opened up beneath her.

She tumbled down stairs, onto to be greeted by "Welcome to the Secret Bazaar!"

She glared at Kirlia as she picked herself up, her teammates arriving behind her.

"We're leaving. Immediately," she snapped as she stalked off to the Stairs.

 **B5F-B9F**

She drove her team hard through the dungeon. Partially due to the Arceus-forsaken heat (she did not miss warm dungeons, that was for sure), but mostly due to her need to take down Lugia. The damn legendary thought she could oppose Formora, did she? Well, Formora would make certain the sea guardian regretted her decision every day for the rest of her life.

Indeed, she'd brought her knife with her too. She'd put it in her Froslass Bow when she walked down to the beach for comfort after reexperiencing the memory. She was glad she did, as she could think of multiple Pokemon who needed to be introduced to it.

Ezra, Mimikyu, Ho-oh, Lugia, Flora…

 **B10F**

Expertly, she dodged the Charizard as it bore down on her, raking empty air with its Slash. From underneath its belly, she gave it a quick blast of Shadow Ball before jumping for a better spot. But as she soared through the air, powerful, searing flames enveloped her entire body, causing her to shriek in pain as her foe's Flamethrower licked her skin. She fell clumsily to the ground, sending a fresh wave of agony through her body.

She tried to stand, but was brought back down by the Charizard ramming its fist down upon her head. Stars exploded across her vision, and she crumpled to the floor. She didn't even have the strength to scream as she was bathed once again in flames.

Her vision went black, then there was a _vree!_ sound from nearby, and everything turned white.

The next thing she knew, she was standing in tip-top shape.

Her teammates were dealing with the enemy, and she realized she must have fainted.

To a measly _dungeon_ Charizard.

Formora was overcome with humiliation and disgust for herself. How could she have let herself faint?! She was better than everyone on this entire continent! The heat was making her sloppy.

Angrily, she threw a lethal Shadow Ball at the Charizard, and stomped away.

 **B11F**

The terrain had changed, though it remained made of stone. The floor was now a grayish-brown, albeit with many more cracks in the floor, though she wasn't worried about it collapsing. Such a trick was for the former Deadlands. The walls were now colored sienna, and little spigots of lava poured slowly through holes in the wall, where they pooled onto the floor.

The greatest change she noticed was that it was significantly hotter than before. Already beads of sweat cascaded down her face. She wiped them off angrily.

"Come on," she muttered.

 **B12F-B14F**

She had to keep using Hail whenever the heat became to much for her to bear. She used it often, for the temperature was quickly draining her patience, and soon all she wanted more than anything was to get Lugia's location out of Ho-oh and get out of this stupid place.

 **B15F**

While making a 90-degree turn, she noticed that there was a locked door in the wall.

"Oh, the secret chamber? Yes, that always appears on B15F," Kia explained when she pointed it out. "There's Black Silk inside if you'd like it. You're a ghost-type, so we have no need of Keys."

She didn't have a use for something that buffed dark-types, so she left it alone and went on her way.

— **Waypoint—**

There were pools of water lining the edge of the waypoint chamber. Formora jumped into one of them, hanging tightly onto the edge by one hand as cool refreshness washed over her. Once she was ready to brace the heat again she hopped out and moved onward, tapping the statue on her way out.

 **Sealed Abyss Pit ( watch?v=asdr-Sj5vLU)**

 **B1F**

Arceus, how she hated this place. The heat had noticeably increased, and the crimson stone walls oozed magma from little holes. The magma burned intensely, shedding a little light into the otherwise dim place. The glow, along with the temperature, gave Formora a fearsome headache. The floor was easier to look at, being only a deep reddish-brown color. Small gray pebbles dotted the landscape **.**

She didn't bother saying anything, merely stalked through the halls, where Team R discovered that Toxicroaks and Ampharos now joined the roster of foes.

 **B2F-B6F**

The next few floors passed without much hassle. On B3F a Toxicroak managed to poison her with Poison Jab, but she took out a Pecha Berry and laughed in its face before blasting it with Ice Beam. She was half-tempted to use the move on herself, if only to have a brief respite from the awful warmth. But to do that would be to admit weakness, so she gritted her teeth and endured the best she could.

 **B7F**

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

She floated down from the sky, feeling power course through her as chunks of hail fell from the roof.

The Swoobat they were fighting flinched as one landed directly on top of its head, and she seized the moment to blast it with Ice Beam. With a squeal, it disappeared.

She beamed, holding her hands out to catch a few hailstones.

"You and I need new moves, Kia," she said matter-of-factly as she led the way down the Swoobat-free path.

"I'm sorry?"

"Firnen knows Guillotine, and with the addition of Hail my moveset is almost perfect. I think Blizzard would complement my abilities pretty well. But you? Earth Power and Dragon Breath are okay, I guess, but Sonic Boom and Feint Attack should be replaced. Draco Meteor has your name written all over it. When we get back to base, learn it," she replied.

"Um, with all due respect-"

"I will have no weakness in my team, Kia!" she snapped, whirling around to face him.

Kia flinched.

"I will see to it right away," he mumbled, not meeting her eyes.

She smiled, and patted his shoulder. "Good!"

 **B8F-B11F**

She pushed her team hard through the dungeon, not stopping for anything except for essential items and to defeat foes. The heat was beginning to get unbearable, and she needed to get out of this Arceusforsaken place soon.

 **B12F**

"Are you alright, Formora? You don't look too well," Kia asked as they wandered through a giant room.

She snorted. "Of course not! It's a million degrees in here, and I-son of a-!"

She had unwittingly stepped on a Warp Trap, and felt herself being pulled away from her group. The trap sent her to a little room she didn't recognize, but the biggest insult was the sound of another trap activating beneath her.

She looked down, and shouted expletives as the Pitfall Trap sent her plummeting.

 **B13F-B15F**

She landed flat on her back, and had to lay there for several stunned seconds. When she could move without pain, she turned the weather to hail and stalked through the last few floors.

She was quite done with this dungeon, and had no desire to return. Why couldn't Yveltal's dungeon be cold like its surroundings? He really needed to pick a better location.

 **Sealed Abyss Depths**

 _I really should have brought a Weather Band,_ Formora thought angrily as they arrived at the base. Sweat poured down her face faster than she could wipe it off, and her headache had gotten worse over the course of the dungeon.

But she ignored her discomforts to observe the base. They were in some sort of main room, as the space was at least half a mile in diameter. She looked up, and distantly saw the top of the crack in the earth. The colors of the place were the same as the latter half of the dungeon, and magma still poured from the walls, albeit from much larger holes. She could see Pokemon walking to and from magma-less holes in the wall, atop rock paths that hugged the edges of the room. Judging by how smooth the paths were, a lot of Pokemon traveled through here.

A large red-and-black Pokemon shaped like a Y greeted them. When he spotted Formora, he bowed low.

"Ah, the Dark Champion! Palpitoad told me you were visiting. How may the Sealed A-base serve you?" he said in a deep, screechy voice.

"Take me to Ho-oh, and get some Arceusdamn AC in here," Formora scowled, crossing her arms.

"Ha, yes, it's quite warm down here. But we are near the earth's crust, so there's not much we can do about the heat. But your request to see Ho-oh shall be granted immediately. Can I offer you any refreshments?" Yveltal nodded.

"No."

"Very well. Froakie, escort the Dark Champion to our beloved guest!" Yveltal shouted at a nearby Froakie.

"Yes sir," he squeaked, and gestured for Team R to follow him.

He led them down a long, narrow tunnel to the right of the main room, which opened up to a spacious chamber where dozens of tunnel entrances pockmarked the room. Froakie ushered them through a smaller hall that lay behind a rusted iron door. The hall led directly to a giant, chained Pokemon who shivered at their approach.

"Here you are. Just call if he gives you any trouble," Froakie said before leaving them alone.

Formora observed the captured bird. He was clearly starving, and multiple welts and bruises covered his body. To her delight, she saw that each and every one of the feathers on his wings had been plucked, leaving his arms as bare as a newborn.

"My, they've really done a number on you!" she laughed, patting his leg. "It seems like it was just yesterday I took you down. Do you regret siding with the Light?"

He opened up a jaundiced eye that stared unsteadily down at her.

"Never..." he croaked.

"That's very brave of you, Ho-oh. But it's also _incredibly_ stupid. What can you do, chained and beaten and starved? How can you help your *snicker* allies from deep within the earth's crust? You can't! Yet here you sit, deluding yourself that you made the right choice. Well, I've come to offer you another choice: tell me where Lugia lives. Do that, and I can make your days here a little better," she told him.

"Why should I?" he demanded.

"I've noticed that a lot of the sores on your body are infected. That's got to be uncomfortable. Firnen, go get me some medicine, and the biggest stick you can find dipped in a poison-type's Acid," Formora ordered.

Firnen gave her a confused look, but headed out to pass it along to Froakie. She waited patienty until he returned with her requested items.

She dragged over a large wooden stake and rested it against one of his welts.

"I'm sure you know what'll happen if you don't oblige me?" she cooed, taking out her knife and carving pieces out of the stake until the end was a jagged, splintery mess. She made sure not to touch any of the poison, and but set her tainted knife down on the ground.

"But if you do, I'll help you out a little. I'm not a _complete_ monster. It's your choice, Ho-oh. Just like before. Only this time, make the right one," she smiled up at him.

Ho-oh glanced back and forth between the two items.

"...Typhoon Rapids. It's off the west coast," he muttered at last.

She smiled, and patted Ho-oh's thigh. "There! Was that really so bad, now? Kia, Firnen, we'll be departing immediately. Go tell Yveltal we'll need a transport. As for you, Ho-oh…"

She left him a parting gift in the form of a giant 'F' carved into his chest. It'd make a very nice accessory for him once it scarred over. She vaporized the medicine with Shadow Ball in front of him, laughing at his distraught face.

Yveltal was kind enough to have a Pokemon named Salamence fly them to Typhoon Rapids. Though he was a fast flier for all his bulk, they were forced to stop and spend the night near the shore. Salamence explained sheepishly that his eyesight wasn't as strong in the dark. Formora was tempted to go ahead anyway, but acquiesced.

* * *

 **Typhoon Rapids ( watch?v=tsTJ-q_cFz4)**

She made Salamence fly them first thing in the morning, and it was shortly after nine when he hovered over Lugia's home, miles off the coast. The waters churned into violent whirlpools, and the largest one in the middle had shadows underneath it.

Formora pointed to it. "There. That's the entrance. Take us down."

Salamence obeyed, and Formora hesitated only a moment before plunging into the icy depths. She half-expected to drown, but no water filled her lungs. Instead, she fell for only a second before landing on a sandbar.

Her teammates joined her, staring at the navy-blue walls that boxed them in. It was rather chilly, which was happily welcomed by Formora after spending yesterday deep in the earth's crust. The sandbar they lay on led to a shallow tidepool, which then led to a path marred by darkness. Breathlessly, Team R splashed into the shadows.

 **B1F-B3F**

The path led to a rocky floor submerged under about ten inches of navy water. There was a current, but it was so slow even a toddler could stand without fear of being pulled under. Still, Formora made a mental note to never let herself be knocked to the ground. It'd be all too easy for her to drown.

 _Wait, I'm supposed to fight Ezra,_ she remembered. Even with the guarantee that she wouldn't die here, she still vowed to keep her head as far away from the water as possible.

The walls were colored a periwinkle blue, decorated with little seashells and barnacles. She could see deep water lining the edges.

"Let's go," she said, heading for a corridor leading east.

The trio traversed the first few floors quite easily, battling Remoraids, Barbacles, Lanturns, Sharpedos, and Corsolas along the way.

 **B4F**

"I hope Cate won't be too mad at me for missing our reservation..." Kia sighed as they wandered down a narrow path.

Formora rolled her eyes, but she heard Firnen chuckle.

"Honestly, it's about time you finally asked her out," he said.

"'Finally'?" Formora echoed, confused.

There was a moment of silence before Firnen spoke.

"Oh come on, Formora, tell me you didn't notice Kia's googly-eyes whenever they were in the same room! It was so obvious! I've told him for months to just go for it, and _now_ he actually follows my advice!" Firnen exclaimed in shock.

He _did_ act rather odd, now that she thought about it, but she wasn't about to admit it.

"I noticed plenty; I just didn't think it was any of my business," she lied, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

"See?" she heard Firnen tell Kia.

 **B5F-B8F**

They spent the next few floors in silence, saving their energy. There wasn't a real need for it, but they felt as though they had to. There was no telling what would happen at the end of the dungeon, and Team R wanted to be sure they were ready for anything.

 **B9F**

"Yah!" Formora shouted, chucking a Shadow Ball at a Corsola who was currently being enveloped in Earth Power.

The little pink Pokemon shrieked, then vanished into thin air, leaving only a blue box behind.

"What's this?" Formora asked, picking up the box.

It was dark blue with a white lace trim, and she could hold it with one hand. It was rather dainty, actually.

"Oh, a Box! I haven't seen those in ages!" Firnen exclaimed when she showed it to her teammates.

"Pokemon in certain dungeons drop Boxes occasionally. You can't open them here, but I'm sure there's someone in Dungeon Alley who can," Kia explained.

"What's in them?" Formora asked, trying to open the Box. It remained firmly shut.

"Anything from apples to exclusive items. It's like a glorified Grab Bag from the Secret Bazaars," Firnen replied.

"I see," was all Formora said.

 **B10F-B13F**

Most of the next four floors were spent trying to pry open the Dainty Box. But though she bashed and twisted the hell out of the lid with all her might, the stupid Box didn't open even a hair. Finally she was forced to give up and tend to her sore and aching hands.

She was tempted to simply blast it instead with Shadow Ball, but dismissed the idea, for she might accidentally vaporize the Box instead.

Formora only hoped that whatever lay inside would be worth it.

 **B14F**

"We really should have asked Ho-oh how big this place was. My feet are getting sore," Firnen complained as they arrived.

Formora popped an apple in her mouth.

"You've trekked through worse, so just deaALLLLLLLLLL!" she said as a Pitfall Trap activated beneath her.

— **Waypoint—**

She landed awkwardly on the ground, letting out a sharp cry as she felt her wrist pop out of place. But opening her mouth caused water to rush in, and she immediately flung herself to a sitting position in a panic, coughing and spitting rapidly until she was sure her mouth was clear. She could still breath, which reassured her somewhat.

Still, she stood up quickly, sucking in a pained breath as she put her wrist back into its socket. She moved her hand experimentally, wincing a little. She'd have to be careful if she didn't want to injure herself further.

She looked around, and was surprised to find herself at the Waypoint. Her teammates were now appearing behind her.

"Getting closer. C'mon, we don't want to lose Lugia," Formora beckoned hastily, heading for the exit.

 **Deep Typhoon Rapids ( watch?v=3hGm54mLZcI)**

 **B1F-B2F**

The walls were now a metallic blue color, decorated with glowing crystals. Sea anemones swayed lazily all over the floor, alongside an abundance of kelp.

Formora's skin crawled as she noticed the current had quickened, and there was more deep water than shallow. The biting chill did little to soothe her nerves, and she drove her team at a fast pace, wanting to get out of the dungeon as soon as they could.

She made sure to never get too close to the enemies, lest they knock her into the water and drown her. The appearance of Mantines certainly didn't help either.

She managed to relax somewhat by repeating the words 'I am destined to survive' over and over in her head.

 **B3F**

"If I might ask, Formora, if we encounter an enemy, what is our battle strategy?" Kia piped up after they arrived on the floor.

"Well, Hail and Snow Cloak worked well when we fought the Lunar Wind. So we'll just do that again. And since Lugia's a psychic/flying-type, I'll be the most effective against her. The best part is, she won't be able to hit me once it starts hailing! *giggle* Oh, we've got nothing to worry about," Formora chuckled darkly.

 **B4F-B8F**

The next few floors passed by without event. Formora looked forward to using Hail against Lugia, though such an unfair advantage would mean a lackluster battle. Now if she were to battle someone who _also_ had Snow Cloak, or could counter Hail somehow...

Now _that_ would be a worthy fight.

 **B9F**

Her stomach growled. She took out an apple and munched on it, keeping a wary eye out for enemies as she did. They rounded a corner-there! An enemy! No, wait, it was just a Kecleon.

"'Allo, there! 'Ow can I 'elp ya?" the shopkeeper greeted in a thick drawl. All he had in his shop were berries and apples.

"You can't. Goodbye," Formora sniffed, walking straight past him.

 **B10F**

"We haven't encountered that mysterious presence today," Firnen said out of nowhere. "Or yesterday."

"Good. Hopefully whoever it was decided to stay far away from us. Though I would love to pay him or her a beating for putting us on edge," Formora grumbled, reached into her Froslass Bow to touch her knife.

"I'm sure they'd never dare follow us into Sealed Abyss. Palpitoad's never let an intruder slip past. And unless our pursuer is a water- or flying-type, they'd have a hard time coming here. And even if they were, we would have spotted them," Firnen agreed.

"Unless they had an Invisify Orb," Kia reminded.

"...Well thanks for ruining the good mood, Kia," Firnen muttered.

 **Typhoon Trench**

The dungeon led to a giant room big enough to house three Wailords comfortably. The floor was a smooth, damp blue-gray stone. Up ahead, a massive waterfall cascaded violently, its churning waters creating a small lake beneath it.

"Where's Lugia?" Formora asked, her voicing echoing throughout the room.

As if on cue, a large shadow appeared behind the waterfall, and a silver Pokemon burst forth, showering the trio in water.

"Who calls for me?" Lugia demanded, hovering in front of them.

Oh, so Lugia decided to stay home too. What an idiot.

"Dearest Lugia, we are but humble emissaries for our Dark Lord. We've heard terrible news, that you've decided to join our enemies instead. We wish to know why, and we ask that you reconsider," Kia purred, ever the diplomat.

Lugia's mouth turned up in disgust. "I know who you three are, and why you've come. I heard what you did to Ho-oh. What you heard is true. I've tried to keep out of your little war, but what you did to Ho-oh...I cannot stand by anymore and watch as you torture and kill innocent Pokemon! Your coming here was a blessing; I shall take you down and throw you in prison, and no one will have to suffer anymore!"

Formora yawned. "I think Ho-oh said something similar when we arrived at Rainbow Mountain. Of course, we all know how _that_ ended. Not very original or inspiring, are you?"

With a snarl and great sweep of her wings, Lugia flung a familiar, purple sphere at Formora.

* * *

 **Boss Battle! ( watch?v=KfO3NQCk484)**

She jumped away from the attack, raising an eye once she landed.

"Did you learn Shadow Ball just for me? I'll be honest, I'd be almost flattered if it wasn't so funny. You knew we're stronger, so you *giggle* so you taught yourself Shadow Ball in the vain hope that it'll take me down. Oh, Lugia, you and Ho-oh really are something special," she laughed.

Lugia growled, and opened her mouth to shoot a rainbow beam down upon Formora. She didn't move, and allowed the Extrasensory to envelop her.

She nodded appraisingly, causing Lugia to falter in confusion at her nonchalance.

"Huh, you're pretty decent. For a normal Pokemon, anyway. For a legendary your strength is abysmal. What made you think you ever stood a chance?" Formora mocked as she rose towards the roof.

She willed for hail to appear, and at once clouds appeared.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

"And now you can't even touch me!" she sang as Snow Cloak activated. Just in time, too, for Lugia threw another Shadow Ball in her direction. But she leaped out of the way, reappearing beneath Lugia.

"Boo!" Formora giggled as she showed the great oaf what a _real_ Shadow Ball felt like.

Lugia howled and tried to stomp her, but Formora easily ducked away.

"Hey, Kia, remember what you did with Ho-oh? Go do that," she ordered.

"Yes," he agreed, taking to the air.

He zoomed for Lugia, flying around her face like a gnat around a Tauros.

"Stop that, you little pest!" Lugia hissed, trying to swat Kia out of the air. The nimble Vibrava easily evaded her giant wings.

Meanwhile, Firnen and Formora shot volley after volley of their attacks as Kia kept Lugia distracted. Eventually, though, Lugia reached her limit.

"ENOUGH!" she roared, summoning a great blue ball of energy in front of her mouth. She shot the ball all around the room, managing to catch all three Renegades in the blast.

The trio were sent flying across the chamber until stone wall ended their flight. Formora recovered first.

"About time she fought back," she chuckled.

"But did it have to be Aeroblast...?" Firnen groaned, standing back up.

"I'd be insulted it it weren't," Formora replied.

The enraged Lugia soared straight for them, bloodlust in her eyes.

"I WILL BE THE ONE TO END YOUR CRIMES AGAINST THE WORLD!" she roared, causing the entire chamber to shake.

"You'll die trying," Formora told her, vanishing from sight as the legendary bore down upon the trio.

Kia and Firnen were helpless against her angry Hydro Pump, and lay dazed against the wall.

"Yoohoo~" Formora sang, getting Lugia's attention with Ice Beam. Lugia turned, and a spiraling vortex of water gushed from her mouth at Formora.

Formora disappeared, jumping away from the attack.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" Lugia continued when Formora reappeared, trying once more to hit the Froslass with Hydro Pump.

But Lugia's rage made her easy to predict, and Formora had no trouble in dodging all of her attacks.

"YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Lugia screeched, switching over to Aeroblast.

This time, Formora was grazed as she leaped away, and fell out of Snow Cloak with a shout.

She fell to the ground, where she was immediately pinned down by Lugia's gargantuan foot.

"Now...now you pay," Lugia promised, charging up for an extra-powerful Aeroblast.

But before she launched the attack, Kia's Dragon Breath struck her back. Lugia screamed, cancelling her attack. She stood there, stunned.

"It's about time you did something!" Formora shouted to her teammates as she immediately set upon Lugia with all her might.

"Like this?!" Firnen shouted, jumping high into the air as his tusks glowed white and elongated.

He brought his Guillotine down cruelly upon Lugia's roared, causing the entire chamber to tremble. She then collapsed, the subsequent tremor knocking Firnen and Formora to the ground. After a moment the brief earthquake subsided, and the two picked themselves up.

* * *

"We did it! We actually defeated Lugia!" Firnen gaped.

Formora glared at him. "Are you saying we're weak?"

He faltered underneath her icy gaze. "N-no, of course not…"

"Hm," Formora said, turning her attention to Kia. "Bring out the mirror. We'll need someone to transport her to Sealed Abyss. I'm sure Ho-oh would love to see Lugia again."

Kia handed her the mirror, and soon Giratina's face appeared on the surface.

" **Greetings, Team Renegade. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you?"** he greeted.

Formora angled the mirror towards the fallen legendary. "We need someone to transport her to Sealed Abyss, and us back to the base."

" **Is that Lugia? I wasn't expecting to see her anytime soon. Excellent work, you three. I'll send Team Leviathan down. I was meaning to contact you soon, as it happens. I have bad news: Solgaleo and his court seem to have disappeared without a trace from their home. It reminds me distinctly of what happened to the Lake Trio, who are still missing. Last I knew, Lunala is still safe, but she may be the next target. Go to her court and apprehend that kidnapper at once!"**

Thinking of the at-large kidnapper reminded her of Lake Caution, where a purple mitten-like hand had appeared out of a golden ring. She'd seen a hand like before….on the purple Pokemon who'd helped Team Banshee escape from Snowy Crevice!

"My lord, could the kidnapper be Hoopa?" Formora ventured.

Giratina paused to think for a moment, then his head lifted. " **I do believe you're correct. I've forgotten he existed; I haven't heard of him in years. He's one of the few who can distort space-time such as myself. He uses his golden ring to warp wherever he wants and be unaffected by the dimensional travel."**

"And he has purple hands, like I saw at Lake Caution, along with the golden ring! Where does he live? Tell me, and I'll bring his and the Lake Trio's bodies to your feet," Formora snarled. That little brat was the cause of the Lake Trio AND Team Banshee's escapes. Oh, there was a reckoning with his name on it.

" **I do not know. As I said, it's been ages since he's been out and about. He could be hiding anywhere. I'll set Miles to work right away. Perhaps you'll be lucky and take him down before he apprehends Lunala. See to it that he's brought to me,"** Giratina ordered before vanishing from the mirror.

"Where does Solgaleo live?" she demanded as she put the mirror away.

"Sun-Drenched Temple; Firnen and I have been there plenty of times. But we're supposed to be going to the Palace of the Moon!" Kia objected.

"We'll be taking a brief detour to the Temple; maybe Hoopa left some clue, or a witness. Or maybe some other cause is behind Solgaleo's disappearance," Formora stated determinedly.

Kia and Firnen had no choice but to lead Formora to the home of the Legendary of Sun.

* * *

 **Double rainbow! What does it mean? :o**

 **Well, a double rainbow is a phenomenon of optics that displays a spectrum of light due to the sun shining on droplets of moisture in the atmosphere. Does that explain it?**

 **The next post will contain: lots of sun, and Formora's (least) favorite ragdoll.**


	41. Chapter 11 Hell Hath no Fury

**Chapter 11. Hell Hath no Fury…**

* * *

It was late when Salamence took them back to shore, so Formora called it a day and allowed her team to rest. It took her longer to fall asleep than the others. Something wasn't right about the Solgaleo situation, but she wasn't quite sure what exactly it was…

 **Sun-Drenched Temple ( watch?v=-xA25v-vzOg)**

The Temple was hidden in the center of a small woods that was open to the sky. A large golden castle with many spires shone valiantly like a miniature sun. Formora had to shield her eyes against the glare as she ascended white marble steps up to the mahogany double-doors that led into the Temple.

The doors were closed, but Team Renegade found they were easily opened. Instead of the usual black shadows that marked the entrance to a dungeon, a blinding, opaque light greeted them.

Formora faltered at this unexpected characteristic, but Kia and Firnen marched through as if they expected the difference. Since they had come here before, she supposed they did.

 **1F-3F**

The floor was made of the same white marble as the steps outside, and the walls were a pale cream. Everything was smooth and shiny, and set towards the ceiling were stained-glass windows of a cream-colored Pokemon who had to be Solgaleo. The light shone through the glass, staining the floor with color. It distinctly reminded Formora of the interior of Rainbow Mountain,though she hoped she wouldn't have a similar day as that one and yesterday had been.

"Tell me about this place," she ordered as she began leading her team down a color-free hall.

"Well, it's 16 floors. Sun will begin to shine constantly starting from 5F. All of the dungeon foes—Espeon, Solrock, Sunflora, Volcarona, and Heliolisk—will benefit in some way or other. At the end lies the Sun Throne, where Lord Solgaleo sits. Er, used to sit, I guess…" Firnen explained.

Formora nodded thoughtfully.

 **4F**

She realized now what was bothering her.

"Hold on…I don't think Hoopa is behind this," she said slowly, pausing their expedition.

"How could it not be? Very few Pokemon can make an entire court disappear without a trace," Firnen shrugged.

Formora spoke cautiously, letting her thoughts develop naturally.

"After taking the Lake Trio, Hoopa hasn't kidnapped anyone else. We saw him at Frigid Tundra, where he was obviously helping Ezra. But he's been quiet ever since. Kidnapping more legendaries out of the blue? That doesn't make any sense. And he couldn't have taken the entire Sun Court. Once people saw their own being kidnapped, they would have run. At least a couple would have had to escape. So why haven't they come forth? Why haven't they asked anyone to find their friends?" she reasoned out.

"Fear?" Kia suggested.

"Possibly, but my gut's telling me there's a different reason behind their disappearance. Keep your wits about you when we get there. There's no telling what will await us."

 **5F-8F**

Like Firnen had said, the sun began to shine brightly through the windows on 5F, giving the dungeon foes an advantage. They all had Abilities or attacks that worked better in sunlight, but Formora merely laughed whenever they tried to exploit the weather. Whenever an Espeon used Morning Sun, or a Solrock used Solar Beam, she'd merely change the weather to hail and giggle at their shocked faces.

She liked the Sunfloras most of all. They knew Sunny Day, and would get into weather-fights with her as each tried to one-up the other. But grass was weak to ice, and she was more than willing to turn the Temple into an arctic tundra.

 **9F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

"Remind me on what Solgaleo is like. What is his court like? His weaknesses?" Formora asked.

"His throne room used to be filled with Pokemon either coming to him to ask for assistance, or Pokemon that served him. Espeon, Solrock, and Ollie—he's an orange Minior—were among his closest advisors. Lord Solgaleo himself is incredibly powerful; you can _sense_ it just by standing near him. He has an air of authority that you can't _not_ submit to. He's as wise as he is noble, however. He is not one to waste words, and when he gives an order he expects it to be carried out at once," Kia explained. He sounded as if he held Solgaleo is great esteem.

"And weaknesses?" Formora pressed.

"Pease don't think of him as an enemy…Okay, okay! Um…Once he makes a decision, there is nothing you can do to change his mind. He prefers displaying a show of force whenever a disagreement arises. He struggles with multitasking, and his basic strategy in a fight is to pummel his enemy until they submit," Kia sighed.

"So bait him into using too much energy while coming at him from multiple directions…got it," Formora nodded.

 **10F-12F**

Formora and her team made good progress in the next half-hour. They stopped for a quick food break on 11F before continuing onward. Formora was curious to see what lay at the end, and whether or not the event would cause Solgaleo to finally pick a side.

She hoped for his sake he chose wisely.

 **13F**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

She spotted a Red Gummi when they arrived on the floor. She nibbled one end of it, then grimaced as the spicy tang of cinnamon burned her mouth.

Firnen popped the rest into his mouth, and winced as well.

"Huh. Could be worse, I guess. It could have tasted like a bell pepper," he shrugged.

Formora only scowled.

 **14F-16F**

During the final few floors, Team Renegade prepared themselves for whatever they might find at the end. An empty chamber, obviously, but there was no telling what the _state_ of the room would be like. If they could find some clues as to what had happened and where the court had gone, then they would act accordingly.

Finally, on 16F, the trio held their breaths as they ascended the Stairs.

 **Sun-Drenched Throne**

The two things Formora noticed immediately were that the throne room was huge, and everything was gold. No, wait, that was only an illusion. Giant windows lined every wall, and the sun that shone into the room was tinting the white marble gold.

A large chair sat in the front of the room, with a small dais for refreshments next to it. Thick blue pillars lined the room as the only decorations.

As she'd expected, it was completely empty. No Pokemon waited upon the Lord of the Sun, nor were there any petitioners present. It was as if the entire court had vanished into thin air.

"But where could they have gone?" Formora wondered aloud

"The Court of the Sun went back to the Summer Isles, _ku'u aloha_ ," a voice that sent her into a chilled rage purred behind her.

She turned, and there Mimikyu stood, looking as smug as he always did. He seemed to have gotten a new Pikachu costume after she'd thrown his original one in the icy waters of the north.

"Lord Solgaleo couldn't stand the Dark's doings any longer, and so he and his Court returned to our native land," he continued calmly.

With a snarl, she flung Shadow Ball at him.

* * *

 **Boss Battle ( watch?v=qbMPHa-ncZk)**

He dodged gracefully, landing on his feet as lightly as a ballerina.

"How'd you know we were here?!" Formora demanded, flinging another one at him.

"'Tis quite simple, love: ever since Solgaleo emigrated home, I've had a feeling you would investigate like you did with the Lake Trio. Excellent work with the Red Flower Tribe and the Lunar Wind, by the way. Your fighting skills are superb," Mimikyu replied as he evaded once more.

Formora froze in realization. "You! _You were the one that followed us!_ " she accused, throwing an Ice Beam at his feet.

Instead of jumping as she expected, he extended a long black arm covered in purple shadows. He batted the Ice Beam away with his Shadow Claw, sending the Beam into a pillar instead, coating it in ice.

"Indeed! Do you recall the Froslass Mimikyu in Mt. Fuchsia? And all of the Maracti standing about at Devilish Cliff? But that is in the past. I do wonder, have you managed to solve my riddle?" Mimikyu purred as if nothing had happened.

"The one about the ship? It's a paradox: you started out with Lunala, but as time wore on you decided to follow Cresselia. The reports about you have all said that you would occasionally help Lunala while you were with Cresselia. And now you've moved on to Formora, though you still work against us," Kia replied, wings quivering as he stared Mimikyu down.

"Correct! Very astute of you, Kialandi, though I've been assisting both Light and Dark equally. But I am willing to focus the majority of my attention on your mistress. For most people, reality lies only in observation. They believe only what they see, never opening their minds to trust in other possibilities. Who's to say we're alone in this universe, for example? Out of this entire dimension, only our little planet is home to life? But we've never been to the far reaches of our universe, so we cannot say for sure. Some Pokemon say yes, we are alone, for we have never been visited by extraterrestrial life. Others, like myself, counter perhaps other civilizations are less or equally advanced as we are. But I remain optimistic," Mimikyu rambled, gesturing grandly.

"Was there a point to any of that?" Formora demanded, crossing her arms.

"Of course; I was merely trying to say there are many things we do not know. But regarding this continent, there is much that I _do_ know. With me by your side, Lady Formora, we will do marvelous things," he simpered, giving her a coy look.

She said nothing, merely flung another Shadow Ball at him. He took the attack head-on, but didn't seem bothered by it at all. The only effect the Ball had was breaking the neck of his costume.

Well, she would wipe that smug look right off his face.

"Please, Lady Dark, reconsider! Did I not give you the location of the Lunar Wind?" he tried again in a voice that made him sound like he was playfully pouting.

"I. Don't. CARE!" she yelled, taking her knife out and lunging for him.

He sidestepped out of the way of her knife, and sent her flying across the room with a powerful Play Rough. She landed awkwardly on her side, but got right back up and ran back towards him

Kia and Firnen dove to back her up, but the little ragdoll sent them sprawling with another well-timed Shadow Claw.

"Lunala was a fair ruler, but she was cowardly. She wished to remain neutral, to stay isolated in her little palace while the war raged on around her. Cresselia had heart, but she preferred to remain hidden in the shadows. Your Renegade leader too does his scheming from his personal dimension. Rulers are not meant to hide away while their subjects are left to fend for themselves. 'Tis the job of Pokemon such as I to hide away, gathering information, biding our time until the moment is right to strike. You, Lady Formora, are vastly superior to the three legends I mentioned. You are a natural leader, and you act immediately! You take action, you do not delegate and keep yourself locked away from harm. No, you show everyone who opposes you that you will not tolerate their weakness! Lady Formora, you should be the leader of the Dark, not Giratina," Mimikyu implored, taking a few steps closer to Formora.

He paused when she summoned Ice Beam in warning.

"Dethrone my Lord, the one who gave me the opportunity to change my life? _Never would I do that, you insufferable little prick_. He does not need to show himself and fight. I am more than capable of doing that for him! You need to be taught some manners!" she snarled, flinging the Beam at him.

Mimikyu actually hissed when the attack struck him, but did not seem discouraged.

"You say it's cowardly to hide, yet you yourself prefer to do just that," Kia retorted as he and Firnen swooped in for Feint Attack and Guillotine.

Mimikyu backflipped away from their blows, and shook his head in amusement.

"I show myself and fight when I need to, which is more than what I can say for Lunala, Cresselia, and Giratina. I, like the Lady Formora, enjoy puzzles, and I've found the best ones to occur when no one knows I am around. Piece by piece, a puzzle forms whose missing pieces might not have even existed in the first place. You have to know how to read between the lines, how to imagine how it all connects," he chuckled.

He held up a shadowy hand as Team Renegade started to rush him.

"Before you attempt to hit me with your predictable attacks, let me tell you something I believe you'll fancy: Cresselia is currently hiding in the far northeast, hoping to rendezvous with Xerneas. I imagine she'll either choose Silent Badlands or Burned Forest," he said simply.

Formora and her teammates froze. She knew he wasn't lying. He directed her to the LW, after all, and the slimy little ragdoll was desperate to cozy up to her.

"How can you know that?!" Firnen demanded, mouth agape.

Mimikyu chuckled. "She does circuits through places around the continent largely ignored by the Dark. I look at the places she's been spotted, and how long ago. She's decent at remaining hidden, but I am the best at finding things that wish to remain unseen. Cresselia prefers out-of-the-way dungeons that few people know of, or visit. Xerneas tends to gravitate toward forests, naturally, though he too stays away from well-traveled dungeons. Silent Badlands and Burned Forest are the only two places that fit their criteria. The puzzle's almost complete, and those two dungeons are the missing pieces. The dungeon Cresselia does not choose is the missing piece that never existed, you see. 'Tis all rather simple once you know what to look for. Please, my dearest Formora, allow me to utilize my skills for you! You know how useful and loyal I will be! Join me, and you will be even greater than the dragon who hides far away in the Reverse World!"

"Would you just screw _off_ already?!" Formora snapped, lunging for his scrawny neck.

Mimikyu jumped high towards a nearby pillar, then launched himself to an adjacent pillar. He jumped between the pillars, going higher and higher, until he propelled himself to a window Formora had not noticed was open. He stood on the windowsill, looking down at the trio.

"I must say I am disappointed, Formora. You are throwing away your future. Do not fret, I have not given up. As a token of friendship, I will warn you to hurry to the Palace of the Moon. Now that her brother has left, Lunala will not be far behind. _A hui hou, Wahine 'Ele'ele!_ " he said before jumping down out of sight.

* * *

"NO! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" Formora howled at the window.

She heard the distant sound of an Orb breaking, and knew he was gone. She screamed at the top of her lungs, furious with Mimikyu for running away, but mostly at herself for not defeating him.

"Stupid stupid stupid!" she hissed as angry tears welled up in her eyes. She turned away from her teammates so they would not see her weakness.

 _Stupid stupid stupid,_ the male voice from Devilish Cliff agreed. She jumped. There was no mistaking it, the voice definitely belonged to her father.

She wiped her tears away, clenching her jaw and turning back to Kia and Firnen. She would show him.

"We're going to the Palace of the Moon," she said in a voice that brooked no argument.

* * *

Once he couldn't hear the enraged screams coming from the Temple anymore, Mimikyu slowed his jog down to a casual stroll. His costume had been ruined for the umpteenth time, again. He sat down in the shade of a large tree and removed the cloth that kept his body hidden. He took out the needle and thread that he always carried, and began repairing his disguise. As he stitched, he reflected on his second encounter with the Dark Lady.

There was something different about her, he mused as he sewed the neck back together. She was angrier than usual, and she hadn't tried to outwit him this time. She'd gone for brute strength instead.

He wondered what had happened to distract her. What was going through that sadistic, lonely head of hers?

Mimikyu resolved to find out. If he could figure out a solution for her problem, then she would certainly consider an alliance. Or perhaps it was time to cut his losses and turn his attention to the other one, who would certainly be much more… _manageable_.

"No," he said aloud, shaking his head. He would do this. He was better at what he did than any other Pokemon; he would _not_ embarrass himself by quitting so soon.

"But if I were to learn more about _her_ …" he mused. Yes, he would offer Formora the solutions to her two biggest problems.

Smiling, he finished his stitching and began making his way down to a little town in the southwest.

* * *

 **I saw the total solar eclipse. It was indescribable. One moment it was light and the next—boom, it was as dark as nighttime while the sun was black. I'm sure Solgaleo would be affronted, though.**

 **The next post shall include: the Palace of the Moon and its Lady.**


	42. Chapter 42

Salamence had gone back to Sealed Abyss when they emerged from the Temple. Formora didn't care, and bade her teammates to lead her to Lunala's home.

As they traversed the country, the team updated Giratina about their progress.

" **So Solgaleo's running away, I see…I do not like the idea of taking Mimikyu's advice, but if you believe him, then by all means visit Lunala. Tell her that she is better than her brother, and to come join us. You know what to do if she refuses. I will send Team Miasma to the Palace as your backup in case the entire Court attacks. Go with haste,"** he ordered from the mirror's surface.

Team Renegade obeyed, arriving at the Palace shortly after noon.

* * *

 **The Palace of the Moon**

A silver castle with a long spire that stretched high into the sky stood on top of a large hill, like a beacon to weary travelers. The colors were soft and inviting, and when Formora ascended the white marble steps up to the oak doors, she found she could not open them at all.

"They'll remain closed until dusk," Kia advised her from the ground. "The Palace opens at night."

Formora scowled, and had her group sit near the entrance, on the lookout for anyone who might belong to the Court.

A few hours later, Team Miasma appeared out of nowhere in front of them, courtesy of an Invisify Orb.

"Tada! So we're here to bully Lady Lunala, huh? Gotta say, I do like threatening neutrals. They usually elect to join us. Of course, no one who says 'no' survives," Binacle chuckled.

"Perhaps we do not need to fight her. I think we can convince her peacefully," Kia said hastily, a somber look on his face.

"Lunala ees wise, yes? Then she should leeve up to her reputehtion," Sonya replied, shrugging.

"In the meantime, let's rest up for when the doors open," Cradily suggested.

The two teams alternated between napping and keeping watch. Team Miasma had brought plenty of Invisify Orbs to make stealth easier. Formora sat back on the grass, staring at the sky. Mimikyu's words had been bothering her.

Her, lead the Dark instead of Giratina? Preposterous! Giratina had changed her life, and she if she had to choose again she would pick this world every time. He had given her the opportunity to succeed, and she'd never squander it with insurrection.

But…She did kind of agree with Mimikyu about leaders fighting alongside their subordinates. Certainly, _she'd_ never let others do her work for her. Giratina was different; he coordinated missions and took charge when he had to.

Not lately, though.

 _That's treason, Formora. Mimikyu's in your head. Ignore him, and focus on the mission in front of you_ , she chastised herself.

Once the sun began to set, the doors of the Palace swung open with a deep groan.

The six Pokemon stood.

"It's time. Let's go," Formora said in a low voice, racing up the stairs.

She paused in shock. The shadows, instead of their usual smoky gray color, were now a solid black, with little glimmering flashes of white.

Of course—the Temple's shadows had been different, why not this one?

She and her team entered without a word.

* * *

 **1F-2F ( watch?v=yo5IRUjNaEA)**

The polished dungeon floor was white marble once again, but the walls were a smooth dark purple that shimmered whenever light touched them. Lanterns were hung at frequent intervals, burning lavender incense. Plain clear glass windows let in the last few rays of the sun before the floor was given to the night. As the moon shone into the dungeon, its light stained the floor a pale silver.

Formora yawned, as the atmosphere was comforting, suggestive of sleep. But no, she had a job to do. She forced herself to remain awake, and asked her team about the dungeon.

"It's 16 floors again, but the weather is dependent on the outside. If it's raining outside, it will rain in here, and so on. Most of the enemies—Umbreon, Lunatone, Clefable, Morelull, and Illumise—are related to the night, as you can tell. Slumber Traps are _very_ common," Kia explained.

Sure enough, on 2F Formora encountered three of them in a row.

 **3F**

"Inform me of Lunala's court, strengths, and weakness," Formora ordered as soon as they had arrived on the floor.

Her teammates were silent. She turned to glare at them, finding hesitation on their faces.

"…Well, her three primary advisors are Umbreon, Lunatone, and Ginny, a green Minior. Lady Lunala herself is incredibly fair and wise. I've never seen her lose a debate, and she can cut to the heart of a manner in only a few words. She does not tolerate disrespect, and expects others to do the same," Firnen flinched after being under Formora's icy gaze.

"Weaknesses," she repeated impatiently.

Kia grimaced, but replied. "Um…Ginny will bend over backwards to be charitable, Lunatone tends to overprepare, Umbreon usually acts without thinking…Oh, you meant Lunala? U-um, she too is difficult to persuade when her mind is made up, she loses endurance the longer she fights, while the throne room is big, it's still rather cramped for a large flier as herself…"

"You should not have hesitated to tell me," Formora frowned before turning around.

 **4F-7F**

She was half-expecting rain to start falling on 5F, but the weather remained clear for the next few floors. She was somewhat disappointed, but figured there weren't a lot of Pokemon who benefited directly from moonlight, aside from the enemies who knew the move with the same name.

Still, a little _something_ would have been nice…

 **8F**

"I wonder if Lady Lunala will have any insight on Mimikyu?" Firnen mused while the group wandered through the dungeon.

"Kia certainly did yesterday; why don't you ask him?" Formora grumbled. "While we're at it, I can't believe he thinks I would commit treason!"

"Don't let him get inside your head, Milady. He prefers the winning side, though he keeps irons in other fires in case his primary target ends up failing. No matter how much he assists us, he's still a dangerous Pokemon to have as an ally," Kia warned.

Formora snorted. "I know _that!"_

 **9F-12F**

Not much of interest happened during the next few floors. She attacked her foes from the walls, safe from all counterstrikes, though truthfully she could have taken on all of the enemies with no need for such crutches. But she wanted to get to the Throne fast, so easy-mode it was.

(However, she could have done without hitting a Slumber Trap every five seconds…)

 **13F**

She'd spotted a Black Gummi in the Stair chamber. She popped it into her mouth—and immediately spit it back out.

" _Licorice?!_ Disgusting!"

 **14F-16F**

As they ascended the last few floors, Formora grew increasingly eager to try out her skills against the Legendary of the Moon.

"The way you guys talk her up, our battle had better not disappoint me," she mused to her teammates.

"Um, we're going to _talk_ her into joining us, remember? We're only saving fighting as a last resort," Kia protested.

Formora snorted. "Oh right, because our leader sent Team _Miasma_ to us just in case our words weren't sugary enough. Get real, Kia."

"But we're going to at least _try_ being diplomatic?" Firnen chimed in.

Formora rounded on them, crossing her arms. "If it comes to a fight—and you _know_ it will—then I'm fighting. And I expect the both of to do the same. Do I make myself clear?"

Her teammates flinched beneath her gaze.

"Yes ma'am," they murmured softly, not meeting her eyes.

 **The Throne of the Moon**

The Court had smooth white floors and shimmery purple walls. Statues of a Pokemon that had to be Lunala lined the back wall. A rug of the moon covered the center of the room, leading up to a silver throne. The ceiling towered high above the trio, and was composed entirely of skylights that let in moonlight during all phases of the night.

But the most interesting things were the four Pokemon rolling up the rug: an Umbreon, a Lunatone, a Minior, and Lunala overseeing them. The four looked up at Team R's entrance.

"Team Renegade…" Lunala said in a wispy, light voice. She didn't sound surprised at all to see them. "I had hoped we would be gone when you inevitably arrived."

Formora flashed her a wolfish grin. "We're here now. Our leader demands you reconsider leaving so soon. You're not a coward like you brother, Lunala, so there is no reason for you to leave. Join us. You'll get to see Kia and Firnen again, after all."

Behind her, her teammates looked down at the floor in shame.

Lunala stood, a grave look on her face.

"It is not cowardice to save the lives of those who want no part in your squabble. I cannot tolerate Northland any longer. It is time for me, my court, and the countless Pokemon who begged my aid in escaping Northland to leave. I will assist them in immigrating to the Summer Isles, where we are safe from your ilk. So many innocents living in fear for their lives…wondering if each day will be their last…My only regret is that I cannot take everyone…" she sighed sadly.

"Those 'innocents' you speak of are only getting a taste of how Pokemon like myself and others use to live. We had to fight for survival and endure horrific tragedies while your 'innocents' look the other way. They know, ohhh, _they know_ about the suffering that lies beneath the cities, but it doesn't directly affect them, so why bother? If you ask me _, this war is the best thing that's happened to the world_ ," Formora snarled, summoning Shadow Ball.

Lunala only looked at her pityingly. "You let your anger rule and misguide you. Dear child…"

This only increased her rage.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY!" she roared, flinging her Ball straight at Lunala. Umbreon jumped in front of the attack, taking it for his ruler.

She heard a noise behind her, and saw Cradily stand next to her. "Sorry we're late. All those damn Slumber Traps…"

"You're just in time. We're attacking Lunala!" Formora spat, diving forward with another Ball already in hand.

* * *

 **Boss Battle ( watch?v=v-xhqldl_mw)**

Lunatone took Formora's Shadow Ball this time, while her leader only looked at the Dark members as if they were a trivial problem.

"Very well, if you insist on this foolish endeavor, we shall put an end to your reign of terror!" she intoned, spreading her wings wide.

"We _will_ make you pay!" Umbreon snarled, lunging forward and emitting a high-pitched Screech.

The six Dark fighters flinched for a second at the obnoxious sound, and Lunatone immediately used the distraction to send out a ball of orange energy into the center of the room. The ball burst, and for a second the room's layout changed to an orange-tiled, plain space before returning to normal.

"What?" Formora grimaced as the Screech died away.

"Magic Room. We can't use our held items for a few minutes. No matter; we don't need them to win!" Cradily explained, sending a plethora of jagged stones at the four enemies as he easily endured Umbreon's Feint Attack. The stones hung suspended in the air, just waiting for an unlucky victim to walk underneath them.

Cradily continued to set up Stealth Rock around the chamber at key locations that would most inhibit the enemies, while Sonya gleefully sent purple Will-o-Wisps at the lunar foes.

"Um, no thanks!" the Minior, Ginny, squeaked, glowing blue and creating a transparent white Safeguard. The Wisps collided against the barrier and disintegrated instantly.

"Now, if you were to burn yourselves so it would be fair, then I can lower it," the girl continued.

"Ha, they don't even stand a chance! Take _this!_ " Umbreon gloated as he lunged straight for Formora.

She was not intimidated, and prepared an Ice Beam when he inevitably got within guaranteed-freeze range. But she was robbed of that bit of satisfaction, for Firnen tackled him away before bringing his glowing tusks down upon the rebel's head. Umbreon jerked once, and went still, his eyes rolled up into his head.

"Hey! He was _mine_!" she growled at her teammate before settling for Lunatone instead.

But as she turned to face the rock/psychic-type, the Meteorite Pokemon was double-teamed with a brutal Giga Drain and a vicious Razor Shell from Cradily and Binacle. The idiot fell at once.

"U-um, Lady Lunala, they're winning!" Ginny trembled as the six turned their attention to the two remaining enemies.

"No, for we are still standing. Use your Reflect, then attack," Lunala corrected gently before spreading her wings and taking to the air. High the ceiling may be, but Formora noted that there wasn't a lot of room for the flier to maneuver around. If they could corner Lunala…

Formora flung a Shadow Ball at Lunala, who took the blow as if it was nothing.

"Nice try, but I am not easily beaten. Now, prepare for the end! Witness the power of the moon!" Lunala intoned as she traced the moon with her body. She spread her glowing blue wings so that she was shaped almost like a perfect circle, then a powerful light blue beam shot from her body and down upon the six Dark Pokemon.

Formora braced herself, but still screamed as multiple waves of agony washed over her. She didn't recall hitting the floor, but that's where she was when she opened her eyes. Her fellow fighters lay in similar positions, each looking pained.

Snarling, Formora got up—and was promptly brought back down as Ginny slammed her tiny body against the floor, creating a small Earthquake. Her only consolation was that Lunala was inexplicably hit as well.

"You hurt your Lady! That's not something I'd expect of a servant," Formora coughed, shakily getting to her feet.

"I didn't want her to be left out…" the Minior trailed off.

"Ginny has a warped personality. She believes firmly in equal distributions and will give any possession of hers away. She obsesses over being charitable, though you have to watch out for her friendly fire," Kia explained quietly, standing back up.

"Get Lunala in corner. It'll be easy to take her down then. In the meantime, that Minior needs to go," Formora ordered just loudly enough for the six to hear.

"Myself and Binacle will be enough, Milady," Kia agreed.

Formora nodded her approval, and set her focus on the stoic Legendary.

"Not bad, but you'll need more than that to defeat me!" she yelled, flinging an Ice Beam at Lunala.

Lunala easily dodged, and summoned three masses colored multiple hues of blue and purple. With a cry, she flung her Psyshock down upon Formora, who neutralized them all with three quick successions of Shadow Ball.

Another Earthquake brought everyone to their knees. Sonya and Formora were the first to recover.

While Formora rained Shadow Balls down on Lunala's head, Sonya ran forward, her fingers elongated into black Shadowy Claws. She raked both her hands down Lunala's chest before she was sent backwards by a powerful sweep of Lunala's wings.

Lunala took a step forward—and received a Stealth Rock for her trouble. As Lunala stumbled, a high-pitched shrieked echoed throughout the chamber. A second later, Ginny (now green and soft for some reason) flew past Lunala straight into the wall, leaving a Minior-shaped hole as she fell to the ground. The Minior bounced once, and was still.

Formora chuckled. "Sounds about right."

"Enough! I will not tolerate this foolishness anymore!" Lunala boomed, putting her wings together, where a blue ball of energy formed. She flung the Focus Blast straight down upon Cradily, who was too slow to dodge.

He let out a squeak Formora didn't know he was capable of making, and fell to the ground, gasping wildly.

"I'm fine," he wheezed after a moment. "Just…just… _wow…_ "

With a snarl, Sonya sent out a malicious Hex in retaliation. Lunala landed right into another Stealth Rock trap, bringing her crashing down to the floor. Formora pounced, viciously striking the Legendary with all her might. The others joined in, though Formora noted with a frown that Kia and Firnen were less enthusiastic.

Quick as a flash Sonya followed up with her Will-o-Wisp. The purple flames landed on her wing, creating a large burn. Lunala hissed, and her eyes flashed a deep navy blue.

"Look away!" Kia screamed. Formora did, and after a second she risked a glance. Everyone was fine, except Binacle having succumbed to the Hypnotize. He snoozed away, oblivious to the world.

"Farewell," she heard Lunala intone. She looked up and saw the Legendary of the Moon charging up Moongeist Beam. She launched herself away as far as she could manage, feeling the heat of the Beam sting her back as she flew.

Before Lunala could even blink, Formora dove for her with a point-blank Ice Beam. The Legendary was instantly frozen, a shocked look on her weary face.

"Break the ice around the joints attaching her wings. Flying won't be as easy for her," Formora ordered, crossing her arms.

With his Dragon Claw, Firnen obeyed, and at once the six fighters set to work at crippling Lunala.

The blows also helped Lunala thaw quicker, and she soon broke free of the remaining ice with a shriek, flying high into the air. She looked incredibly tired, but still she pulled her battered wings into her Moongeist Beam shape and began charging.

"I theenk nut," Sonya snickered, sending a powerful Hex at the vulnerable Pokemon.

Lunala wailed, and fell to the ground in a great heap. She lay there for several seconds, during which Teams Renegade and Miasma healed themselves.

* * *

Lunala stirred soon after.

"I…will not…let us fall," she said breathlessly.

She must have been hiding her strength, for she suddenly rose high into the sky until her silhouette covered the moon.

Her body glowed an intense bright blue, glowing more and more until the Dark teams were forced to shield their eyes from the glare. There was a whooshing sound, then suddenly all six fighters were blasted with the true strength of Moongeist Beam. They were flung far, until the walls ceased their flight mercilessly.

The light was still blinding, so the injured six were forced to lay there helplessly. Formora heard the sound of glass breaking, and felt little pieces cascade over her body.

The light faded, and Formora hesitantly opened her eyes to see the tiny figure of Lunala fly away with her Court through the now-broken skylight.

She stood at once, ignoring the shard of glass digging into her skin.

"KIA! GET HER AT ONCE!" she bellowed, throwing Shadow Ball at the fleeing coward. But Lunala was too far away, and her Ball fell harmlessly to the ground.

"She's gone, Formora, and there's broken glass all over the place. She'll be miles off the coast by the time we send people after her. It's time to go home," Cradily shook his head.

"No! I will not let her get away!" Formora insisted, searching desperately for a way to catch up with the fleeing cowards.

An Orb broke, and at all once a torrent of water washed the six Pokemon of the glass shards.

"It's over. We did our best, but who could have known she would do that?" Binacle said sympathetically.

Formora rounded on her teammates. " _They knew!_ It's their fault!"

"No one's gotten that close to defeating her before. Please, Formora, we truly didn't know the extent of her power. We've never seen her fight this far," Firnen begged.

"Don't blehme them for circumstances beyond our control. Let's report and head back," Sonya said, putting a hand on Formora's shoulder as Binacle pulled out a Warp Orb.

Formora shrugged away from the Banette, but went along with the plan.

* * *

When the teams returned home, Formora headed straight for the dungeon. She _needed_ others to suffer for the events that transpired. She couldn't rest until she sated her need for agony. She worked until she had satisfied her bloodlust. She felt much better afterward, but a part of her was still upset at losing yet another enemy.

She passed Drapion as she headed for the showers. He looked ill, but otherwise unharmed. She frowned, and moved on.

Oksana entered the showers shortly after Formora did.

"I want Drapion dead," she told the warden firmly. "His punishment is not sufficient for his crimes."

Oksana blinked. "He ees under orders from our leader, Formora."

"But _I_ am the Champion! I have just as much say in this as he does! Let it be known, Oksana: Drapion dies in one week. We'll…we'll tie a heavy weight to him, with thick chain so he can't cut it off. Yes, then we'll make him walk into the ocean and let go of the weight," Formora insisted.

Oksana stared at her uncertainly. Formora glared at her.

"To disobey me is treason, Oksana," she warned.

Oksana flinched, but nodded her agreement.

"Eet shall be done," she said faintly.

Formora smiled as she turned the water off and dried herself.

"Excellent! Now, where did Kia go…?"

* * *

She flung open the door to Kia's room. He and Cate were sitting on Kia's couch, reading a book together. Both Pokemon jumped at the unexpected intrusion.

"Kia! Get up! We're going to the training room!" Formora demanded.

"Why?" Kia asked, startled.

Formora sighed impatiently. "I told you we needed to learn stronger moves. Now let's go!"

She hauled him off his couch and out of his room.

"Um, I'll talk to you later, Cate!" he called apologetically over his shoulder at the bewildered Espurr.

Manectric and Gideon were more than happy to teach them Draco Meteor and Blizzard.

"Summon forth all of your innate draconic power in front of you, then sent it high into the sky. It has to be _all_ of your might, otherwise the energy sphere will disintegrate. You want it to separate, to rain down your power upon your foes' heads" Manectric urged Kia.

Gid flicked his tongue over at Formora.

"Think of Powder Snow or Icy Wind, only bigger and stronger. Channel your icy essence into the attack. You're attacking with the storm of the north, after all," Manectric translated for the silent Serperior.

The two trainees went for it (Kia reluctantly, Formora enthusiastically), but neither could summon even a wisp of their attacks.

"Just keep trying. Draco Meteor and Blizzard are powerful moves. You want to put all of your will into it," Manectric encouraged.

The two practiced until it neared midnight. Finally, Manectric and Gideon called it a night.

"That's a good start! Keep at it, and I'm sure you'll get it in no time!" Manectric beamed as he bid Kia and Formora goodnight. Gideon merely nodded his head at the two before slithering off.

"Um, I'm going to go see Cate…" Kia squeaked, not looking at Formora.

"That's fine. We'll keep practicing tomorrow," Formora shrugged.

Kia left for Cate's room, and Formora began heading toward the stairs to her own. Flora was waiting for her there, looking as if she hadn't slept in a while.

"Tell me!" the Floette begged once she spotted Formora.

"Tell you what?" Formora asked innocently.

"What is it? What is it about me that's so bad?" Flora sniffled, her lip quivering.

Formora cocked her head to the side. "I thought it was obvious! Your belly's sagging like a Snorlax after a buffet! Your arms are all flabby, and even your flower looks like it could skip a meal or two!"

Flora looked down at herself doubtfully. "But…that's not true…"

Formora sighed, and put an arm around her shoulder. "Look, I understand. It's hard hearing constructive criticism. It's hard hearing why men don't like you. But don't worry, okay? Dieting is very easy: just eat less, and exercise more. Stay away from sweets and junk food, and spend your evenings at the gym. Do that for a week, and I _guarantee_ you'll see results. Now, I have to go to bed. You take care, now~"

Orzhova was the Cinccino on duty when Formora entered her room.

"Get me a book that tells me about the calories in different kinds of food," she ordered.

"O-of course, Milady," her servant blinked at this unexpected request.

The book was delivered twenty minutes later, and Formora spent an hour in the tub, reading intently.

* * *

 **My goal is to finish this story by the end of the year. Considering we're nearing the end (!), that shouldn't be too difficult.**

 **The next post will contain: Badlands, a Forest, and nightmares.**


	43. Chapter 43

As Formora had requested right before she'd gone to bed, Teysa woke her at 6 o'clock sharp. She stretched, then immediately went down to bang on Kia's door until she heard him stir.

"Whazzit…?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eye with a foreleg as he opened his door.

"Time to train," she informed him. He stared at her with a look of incomprehension. She crossed her arms.

"You. Me. Train. Moves. Now," she simplified. "How does the thought of not being at peak strength not bother you?"

He yawned. "Because it doesn't?"

She yanked him out of his room. "Don't sass me. Now let's go."

No one was inside the training room, but Formora didn't mind. She didn't need Manectric or Gideon to tell her how to use Blizzard. She _knew_ how, but something just wasn't clicking…

The two Renegades practiced for hours, with some success. Kia still had difficulty in getting the ball to separate and not poof, but Formora managed to be able to summon up the power needed for Blizzard. She could feel it in her fingertips, ready to be used, but try as she might she still could not utilize it.

As she trained, Mimikyu's words kept echoing in her mind. Silent Badlands or Burned Forest is where Cresselia and/or Xerneas are hiding…He'd warned her to be swift before they found a new spot. To listen to him would be to let herself be used like a puppet.

But still…

She flung out an arm, catching Kia's shoulder.

"That's enough for right now. We're going to Silent Badlands."

* * *

 **Silent Badlands ( watch?v=7qWfkCtA2pU)**

The trio arrived late into the afternoon. Tall jagged brown pillars of rock stood stoutly like guardians of the earth as the wind wailed between them. Craggy paths and unstable ground led up to the forest of rock.

Silently the trio entered the dungeon underneath the illusion of an Invisify Orb. The land outside the biome was completely open; if an enemy _was_ here, Team Renegade would stick out like a sore thumb.

 **B1F-B3F**

The inside was just as weathered as the outside. The ground was a dull red clay, with striped stone walls. A few scraggly, half-dead bushes were the only life aside from Team R. The air was dry, and there was no sign of water anywhere.

She shuddered, brushing her crawling skin. The room was incredibly cramped, like a prison. She needed to get out of here, out of this stone box as soon as possible.

"Come on!" she said quickly, racing ahead without preamble.

To her dismay, the rest of the dungeons was equally claustrophobic. She went through the Skarmorys, Manectrics, Golems, Medichams, and Jolteons as quick as she could, hoping this place wasn't terribly long.

 **B4F**

"Ugh, why exactly are you taking Mimikyu's advice?" Firnen grumbled as they took down a Golem. "You're playing right into his hands."

"You think I don't know that?" Formora snapped as she finished it off with Shadow Ball. "But we can't afford to let this chance slip past us. He wouldn't lie to me; that'd defeat his entire plan."

Unbeknownst to her, Kia and Firnen exchanged a worried glance.

 **B5F-B8F**

The next few floors passed by rather quickly. Nothing of importance happened to the trio, of which Formora didn't mind. Though boring in appearance, the claustrophobic halls make her skin itch with displeasure. She had no time for distractions.

 **B9F**

Someone was here with them. Formora scowled. If Mimikyu was up to his tricks again, she'd dice him and his rag into bite-sized pieces. She kept an eye out, but no foe seemed out of the ordinary.

She swore this floor was tinier than the previous ones. Her arms brushed against the walls as she trekked down a passageway, her skin crawling with every step.

"Formora?" she heard Kia say. From the sound of his tone, this was not the first time he'd addressed her.

"What?" she asked.

"Pardon my frankness, but what's the chance we are walking into a trap?"

"Aha! There they are!" an arrogant, masculine voice shouted behind them as they walked into a chamber.

 **Weather Condition: Sandy**

Team Renegade turned to see a Nidoking, Golurk, and Hippowdon blocking the exit they'd just come out of. Well, at least it wasn't Mimikyu who'd come to spy on her.

"What do you want? I'm busy," Formora snapped, crossing her arms.

All three Pokemon flexed their arms, showing off well-toned muscles.

"We're the Bro-tastic Team Extreme! Braxten the Bold! Golurk the Great! Hippowdon the Hardy! We're a Gold-rank trio of _awesomeness!_ And we're here to take you down, little lady!" the Nidoking boomed, a smug smirk on his face.

"You've been pretty uncool, missy. But no longer will you be doing, like, _not cool_ things to peeps 'n stuff! Yeah, 'cuz _we're_ gonna send you three straight to the slammer! How's that for cool?!" the Golurk bragged, patting his still-flexed arm.

"You're gonna pay for everything, you monster of a girl! Now, I'll give ya a minute to come to terms with everything an' all, but get ready for the smackdown of yo—WHOA DUDE!" the Hippowdon shouted as Formora blasted him with Ice Beam, having grown bored of their speech.

Kia and Firnen followed suit, and not a moment later the trio of idiots were eradicated from the dungeon.

"What were you saying?" Formora asked Kia as they resumed their trek.

"I hope we are not walking into a trap," Kia replied, as if nothing had happened.

"We're not. Mimikyu wants to be on my good side, so he's delivering Cresselia and Xerneas in a nice red bow. If he seriously thinks that will get me to ally with him, I'll give him a big shiny present of my own in the form of my knife in his spleen," Formora grumbled, shielding her eyes from the sandstorm's bite.

 **B10F-B14F**

They continued their journey through the badlands, without any more interferences.

 **B15F**

Her stomach began growling something fierce shortly after arriving. She popped a Clear Gummi in her mouth, grimacing at how said Gummi was obtained.

Before the trio had left, they'd stopped by Dungeon Alley to open up the Box. An obnoxiously-loud Pokemon named Hitmonchan ran the booth. Formora could hear him shout and guffaw all throughout the hall. He laughed when they offered him the Box, a booming din that made her teeth rattle. She'd instantly disliked the shopkeeper, and her ire increased tenfold when he whacked the top of the Box with a casual swing of his hand. The Box slowwwwly creaked open, and he had handed her a slightly-dented Clear Gummi.

How dare _he_ be able to open the Boxso easily when she could not?! And did he _have_ to shout in order to talk?!

She amused herself through the last floors wondering what it would take to get him to ingest something nasty…

 **Silent Barrens**

They'd arrived on the tallest pillar of the badlands. The sun had almost set, and it was dead silent. Not even the wind whispered through the land. Formora felt better, being out in the open. The silence was soothing to her, and she sat down, looking out across the biome. She could see miles of open space…

"We'll spend the night here," she found herself saying, still watching the ground. "They're not here. I can feel it. Go find us something to eat, and make a fire too."

There wasn't much in the way of edibles, so the trio had to ration some of the food they'd brought with them. Building a fire was easier, as all Kia had to do was Dragon Breath the little kindling he'd found.

Formora lay back, staring up at the stars above. Nights like these, she could almost relax and forget everything.

Almost.

* * *

 **Burned Forest ( watch?v=0K1mvujF1VM)**

They rose with the sun, and make it to Burned Forest shortly before nine. Formora could smell the dungeon long before she saw it. The stench of smoke and ash permeated the air like a blanket. Upon reaching the remnants of the forest, Formora saw the destruction that had once taken place.

 _Everything_ was charred black with soot and ash. Jagged stumps were all that remained of the trees. No grass grew. The entrance was a mere blob of shadow, unencumbered by any decorations or markers. Surely, it had once been surrounded by trees and flora to hide away the dungeon inside, but now…

"This place is pitiful," Formora observed scathingly.

"Legends say this was where Xerneas resurrected last. When he dies, he creates a beautiful forest, so that he may still live even while his body does not," Kia explained.

"Some beauty," Formora snorted.

"Well, I've heard that he died due to an epic battle with Yveltal. The two brothers fought valiantly, but in the end Xerneas perished. Yveltal died years later, and has only relatively recently been reborn. He set this entire forest ablaze in spite, remembering their bitter feud," Kia continued, shrugging.

That sent her into a burst of laughter. "Well! Let's go relive history! Let us kill Life."

 **B1F-B5F**

Like the outside, the dungeon was black and lifeless. The walls were nothing but the blackened remains of trees, grown so close together not even a Joltik could squeeze through. The floor was blackened dirt, with one paltry little blue flower near a corner. The sad withered thing was about a few hours away from the mercy of death.

The scent of smoke was much stronger in here, and periodically their trek was interrupted by a cough or five. Sometimes this drew the attention of the haggard dungeon Pokemon who obviously had seen better days. But Formora had no problem defeating the Roserades, Azumarills, Furrets, Bellossoms, and Vespiquens that sought to take advantage of a choking Renegade.

Formora's only wish was that Yveltal had completely annihilated this place off the face of the earth when he had the chance.

 **B6F**

"It's kinda weird how Xerneas and Cresselia might return to this place," Firnen muttered.

"What do you mean by 'might'?" Formora demanded, turning to face him.

He flinched. "W-well, I for one wouldn't want to go back to the site of my death…"

"Xerneas has gone through countless life cycles. Surely he is well used to it by now," Kia offered.

"Exactly! Now quit being a baby and get moving!" Formora snapped.

 **B7F-B9F**

And so they moved on without pause. Formora had little care for this dungeon, wanting only to get to the end as soon as possible. An enemy was there. She just knew it.

— **Waypoint—**

Formora didn't even bother tapping the statue; she ran straight for the path ahead.

 **Burned Highland ( watch?v=vH6jNIEuG6w)**

 **B1F**

While the air was somewhat cleaner, there was still a noticeable sooty smell. The trees were still blackened and jagged, but only towards the tops. The bottom of the trunks were beginning to grow back. Indeed, there was the occasional sprig of green amidst the blackened floor. There were a couple of flowers as well, looking relatively healthier than the one in the first half.

"It makes sense. This section was closer to Xerneas when he resurrected, so it felt his presence more," Kia theorized when Formora commented on it.

"Hm," was her reply.

 **B2F-B7F**

On they went, with very little in the way of interest. On B5F Formora knocked a Vespiquen into a Self-destruct Trap. The look on its face as it was blasted into oblivion sent Formora into a laughing fit that lasted five entire minutes. So far it was the highlight of her day.

But soon it would be replaced by Xerneas and/or Cresselia's capture.

 **B8F**

Formora and her team were beginning to get hungry. There was a Big Apple in the room, so they decided to split it three ways. However, as they moved towards it, the ground opened up beneath Formora.

"Realllllyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!" she shouted as she fell.

 **B9F**

She landed hard on her arm, with nothing to cushion her fall. She let out a pained hiss, but upon experimentation it thankfully wasn't broken or dislocated. She stood, wringing it out as her teammates popped in. There was no need to explore the dungeon, as the Stairs had spawned with them.

 **Burned Genesis**

For a second, Formora had to make sure she was still in Burned Forest. A large clearing met the trio. There were only a few patches of black against the predominant-green landscape. The air was clean, with only the faintest trace of smoke. The trees were full of leaves and appeared to be thriving. Multicolored flowers bloomed across the field, dancing faintly in the wind. She could hear the sound of running water nearby.

The only thing that marred the newfound greenery was a large hole in the center of the forest. The ground was ripped up around it, like a giant tree had been uprooted.

"The site of Xerneas' demise and birth…" Kia gasped in awe.

A soft but powerful voice called out, "Is that you, Xerneas?"

From out of the foliage came a floating pink-and-purple Pokemon. Her head was yellow and crescent-shaped. She froze in shock upon seeing Team Renegade.

Hungry for her defeat, Team Renegade immediately pounced on the Legendary Cresselia.

* * *

 **Boss battle! ( watch?v=vH6jNIEuG6w)**

Formora flung her Shadow Ball before the Lunar Pokemon had time to even blink. Cresselia flinched, but recovered from her shock to swiftly evade Guillotine and Dragon Breath.

"You three, _here_ of all places! How can this be?!" Cresselia exclaimed, throwing a Psycho Cut at Firnen. The Fraxure stumbled, but easily shook it off.

"Not important," Formora breathed, rising into the air and summoning a hailstorm.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

She disappeared right as she began to feel the invisible tug of a psychic hold start to grab her. She slipped away, like a fish. She maneuvered behind the psychic Legendary, tossing her Ice Beam.

Cresselia somehow heard her, and whipped around, her Psycho Cut slicing the Beam neatly in half. The severed attack fell uselessly to the ground.

"Ooh! Cressie's got tricks! Too bad they won't save her~!" Formora giggled, dodging Cresselia's follow-up Cut.

"We shall see," Cresselia said gravely, catching all three Renegades in her Psychic. The trio were lifted high, high into the sky, where they were slammed against one another before being released.

Kia, having wings, managed to save himself right before he right the ground. Firnen and Formora weren't as lucky.

Formora sucked in a breath, cradling the arm she'd fallen on inside the dungeon. She'd landed on it again, and every movement sent a flash of pain through her arm. Whatever. Cresselia first, health second.

"I may not be the one who will stop you, but by the Original One I shall try!" Cresselia stormed, sending a quick Cut at Kia. It caught him square on the wing, and down he went.

"Agh!" he winced, fanning the injured wing. There was a large gash across the middle. "Not sure if I can fly now…"

"Ergh, I don't care! Just keep attacking her!" Formora snapped, dodging a Cut aimed at her chest.

Kia began to rise, but was caught once again with Psychic. Formora and Firnen dashed forward, striking Cresselia with Shadow Ball and Dragon Claw as she threw Kia against a tree, where he lay motionless.

"USELESS!" Formora shouted at him

"Arah!" Cresselia shouted, sending them sprawling with another Psychic.

Formora crashed against the ground, lying there for a second before standing back up. As she did, Cresselia began to glow white, drawing power from the moon. The faint silver light coalesced around her wounds, healing some of them.

Formora threw two Balls, one in each hand, at the healing Legendary in retaliation. Cresselia winced, but finished.

 _Have to pause in order to heal, huh? You're just_ handing _yourself to me, aren't you?_ Formora thought, throwing another Shadow Ball.

Cresselia evaded, but fell victim to a surprise Dragon Claw from Firnen. Before he could follow up, she sent him flying across the field with Psychic.

"Hah!" she yelled, racing straight for him, already forming a Psycho Cut.

Formora didn't even remember drawing her knife. She only recalled disappearing and reappearing next to Cresselia right before she reached Firnen. Then suddenly Cresselia was screaming, and there was a large, deep gash across her entire flank.

Cresselia fell to the ground, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Formora felt her blood sing for more carnage.

"GET HER!" she yelled in a deep, primal voice she'd never heard herself use before.

She and Firnen set themselves upon the hapless Legendary, bombarding her with blow after blow.

Eventually, Formora stood back, admiring her handiwork. Cresselia was somehow still conscious, though her breath was shallow and her eyes dim. She burst out laughing.

"Oh my Arceus, you are the _weakest_ legendary I've ever seen! And you call yourself a leader of the Light?! Oh, ohhhhh how I wish Ezra were here to see this! Her stupid, stupid leader, beaten to a pulp! Ah, I wish I had a camera. Oh, Cresselia. I am going to fall asleep remembering this moment for _years_ ," she said scathingly.

Cresselia said nothing, merely began healing with Moonlight.

"Go ahead. I will gladly pummel you as many times as you'd like," Formora said in a low voice, grinning maliciously.

She threw another Shadow Ball just as the hail ended.

 **Weather Condition: Normal**

Cresselia finished, and tried to stand. Even with a fresh heal, she was still bleeding heavily from the gash in her side. Formora was calm, calm as a predator circular its wounded prey.

Her prey was weakening fast. Formora let herself be hit with Cresselia's Psychic. The Legendary of the Crescent Moon could only throw her a few meters.

"I'd say I pity you, but that'd be a lie. I have no mercy for those who get in my way. I'm going to enjoy our coming 'chats' very much. There's a nice selection of toys waiting for us too. I'm going to make sure that every day is far worse than the last. You'll fall asleep dreading the next day, hoping you'll die in your sleep before I come down. But. You. Won't," Formora said in a cold, calm voice as she hit Cresselia's gaping injury with Shadow Ball.

Cresselia screamed.

"M-monster…You won't…get away with this…" she whispered, trying and failing to stand.

"Funny," Formora said, kneeling down next to Cresselia. "That's what Ho-oh and Lugia said. When I take down Xerneas, I'll tell him you said the very same thing."

She KO'd Cresselia with one last Shadow Ball.

She watched over Cresselia as her teammates healed themselves.

"That was…much easier than I was expecting," Kia said, still nursing his wing.

"Think about how much faster we could have been if we knew Blizzard and Draco Meteor," Formora said absently.

Strange. She thought she'd be overjoyed at taking down Cresselia. But all she felt was nothing.

"Alert our leader. We caught her," she continued.

"DARRRRRRRK VOIIIIIIID!"a deep, rumbly masculine voice suddenly shouted behind them.

Formora turned just in time to be enveloped by a purple sphere of energy.

* * *

" _Welcome to Kindergarten!" the strange woman in front of her says with a smile, leaning down to meet her._

 _She hides behind Daddy's leg, not meeting her eyes. She's never been outside the house before; she has no idea how big the world was! But all of it was scary…Strange monsters ran up and down the roads, so many humans and Pokemon jostling her as Daddy led her to an unfamiliar building full of unfamiliar people._

 _Daddy makes her stand in front of him._

" _And you end at 2, right?" he asks the lady, who smiles again. Her smile is like sunshine, Formora notices. Daddy never smiles. She doesn't remember him ever smiling._

" _Yep! And the pick-up zone is down the hall and to the right, next to the parking lot. I'll be inside when she's ready," the lady says as she opens the door behind her and goes through it._

 _For a brief moment, Formora sees other kids her age. She latches again onto Daddy's pant leg. She does not like this strange place. She's never seen kids other than the one in her storybook at home._

 _He yanks her off again, making her squeak in protest._

" _Stop that. Now behave yourself today. You might actually learn something," he snaps, thrusting her inside the room._

" _Who am I kidding?" she hears him mutter as the door slams shut before she can turn around._

 _She starts crying, pounding on the door with as much strength as her little fists can manage. All it did was make her hands hurt, which makes her cry harder._

 _A hand touches her shoulder gently._

" _He'll be back soon, Formora. Don't you want to meet the other children?"_

 _It's the sunshine lady._

 _Formora ceases her sobs to sniffles, lip wobbling as she stares uncertainly at the lady._

" _You're going to have a lot of fun here!" the lady continues, taking Formora's hand._

 _Formora doesn't quite believe her, but reluctantly allows herself to be led to a table with other children. Everyone is staring at her. Formora hides underneath the table instead._

" _What's wrong with her?" one child asks._

 _Formora bites her lip and resumes her cries anew._

 _Now came a time the lady called 'recess'. She and the other children were led to a yard that had a bunch of weird structures on it. The kids took to the structures like Formora took to food. They seem to be having fun._

 _Formora stands there, uncertain of what to do. She has no wish to join the others, not after everything that's happened today. She spots a structure that didn't have anyone on it. She wanders uncertainly to it. It is a tall thing, with steps leading up to a flat surface that led to the ground. She climbs the steps, then pauses. Now what?_

 _She tries walking down the flat part, but loses her balance and falls flat on her face. She slides down to the ground._

 _There is laughter nearby._

" _You're 'sposed to sit on it, dummy!" she looks up to see a group of children surrounding her._

" _You're weird. And you smell," a girl says matter-of-factly._

 _Formora can't respond. She gets up and runs from the kids. They all think this is a hilarious game, and proceed to chase her around the yard, calling her names and throwing things at her._

 _Formora soon finds herself trapped by a wall, surrounded by her pursuers._

"' _Mora's a dummy! 'Mora's a dummy!" they chant, crowding around her as she curls up into a ball and cries._

* * *

She woke at once, disoriented and wondering why she was in a forest when she'd been in school just a second ago. She looked around, and found that she and her inexplicably-asleep teammates were still in the center of the forest. Cresselia was nowhere to be found. Not even a blood trail to give her a clue.

Feeling a numb rage wash over her, she jostled her teammates awake.

"What the hell was _that_?!" she seethed, scanning the area for any signs of where Cresselia had gone, or who or her mystery savior was. None were found.

"I'm…not sure. I didn't see who it was," Kia frowned.

"Me neither. And I've never seen an attack like that before too," Firnen agreed.

"He shouted 'Dark Void'. But I've never heard of that move before," Formora growled, pacing angrily back and forth.

She had to clamp down _hard_ on her tongue until she could taste blood to keep from screaming at the top of her lungs. Yet _another_ legendary had escaped after she'd beaten them! What was wrong with her?

 _No matter how hard you try, it's never enough,_ her father taunted.

She let out the scream she'd held, sending a flock of startled bird Pokemon to the skies. It did nothing to quell her rage, only having the complete opposite effect.

She quieted down, trembling all over. Her fingers were twitching, itching to wrap themselves around someone—anyone's!—neck.

"Let's go," she said through clenched teeth as she turned to stalk out of the forest.

"Where?" Kia had the gall to ask.

She whirled to face him, struggling to keep herself from smacking him.

"I came out to ruin someone's life today, and as Arceus at my witness _I will get what I want."_

* * *

 **Apologies for the delay; my some of the keys on my keyboard decided to work only 10% of the time…**

 **I was tempted to name the end of the Badlands 'Silent Hill', but it didn't fit the terrain so I scrapped it. Just a little fun fact.**

 **The next post will include: hard work paying off, an unorthodox method of dungeon travel, and Formora's version of anger management.**


	44. Chapter 44

"Where is the nearest village?" she continued calmly. Her teammates stared at her uncomprehendingly.

She brought out her blood-soaked knife. "Well?"

Her teammates hastily brought out their map.

"Um, Merdavee Village, Lady Formora. It's half a day away," Kia said, pointing to a little spot inside a dungeon named Mangled Mangrove.

Formora looked up the sky. It'd be the middle of the night when they arrived. "We'll travel until it gets dark. Who knows, perhaps we'll run into Cresselia again…"

* * *

 **Mangled Mangrove ( watch?v=meRxhDb9UIY)**

The entrance to the dungeon lay at the beginning of a mangrove forest. Crystal clear blue water lapped gently at the shore as a slight breeze made the cattails and tall grass sway lazily.

Multiple canoes were tied to a post nearby, next to a sign that read, 'Use these. Return upon leaving.'

"What, do we have to sail through the dungeon?" Formora snorted.

"Well, the Region of Redundancy is known for having odd rules," Kia suggested as he started to untie a canoe.

"The what?" Firnen asked, tilting his head.

"This part of the continent is known as the Region of Redundancy. The dungeons here are named…redundantly. Mangled Mangrove, Plain Plains, Woody Woods, Abysmal Abyss, Ruined Ruins, Cavernous Cave, Wet Wetland, Deserted Desert—"

"Okay, _stop_ ," Formora interrupted, shoving him into the water. "You two paddle."

 **B1F-B3F**

As it turned out, they did have to sail through the dungeon. The water was too deep for any of them to traverse. The riverbed was made of algae-covered stone, and thick mangrove trees provided an impenetrable wall. Lilypads and cattails grew near the edges of the trees, and their roots occasionally tangled up their boat.

Battling was especially difficult. She couldn't leave the boat—the water was _begging_ to drown her—and there was barely any room to maneuver in. While the enemies (Binacle, Krabby, Unfeasant, Poliwhirl, and Lombre) weren't that tough, the fights took longer as the foes had plenty of space to evade.

Formora cursed the entire place. For having a stupid name, stupid rules, stupid Pokemon, water that she swore was beckoning for her to jump in, and especially the plants that kept delaying her gratification!

She was going to have to hurt a _lot_ of people in order to feel better. All she wanted right now was to get to that village.

And soon.

 **B4F**

Upon rounding a tight corner, the trio stumbled upon a curious sight. Floating atop a wooden pallet was a Kecleon Shop, of all things.

"Ah, welcome to my ever-moving shop!" he greeted, spotting them.

"Keep going," Formora snapped at her teammates, who had begun to steer towards him.

"No need for rudeness," the shopkeeper pouted.

She sent him flying into the water with Ice Beam as they passed.

 **B5F-B8F**

To pass the time and to quell her restlessness, she made Kia train with her while Firnen paddled by himself. Kia was reluctant, especially since the noise drew the attention of the enemies, but Formora put her foot down and bade him in no uncertain terms to obey her.

Though they practiced, neither Renegade was able to 'get' how to use the move they were trying to learn. It only added to Formora's ever-growing list of failures, and increased the numb rage she felt inside.

She pushed them harder, until finally even she called for a break.

 **B9F**

"You were saying the Region of Redundancy had special rules? What are they?" Firnen asked as he handed the paddle to Kia.

"Well, this one obviously requires a boat to travel on. Let's see…Cavernous Cave offers lanterns, for without them you'll never find your way through its hall. Wet Wetland offers raincoats, as no one comes out dry. Plain Plains allows only Plain Seeds to be brought in, and Ruined Ruins will ruin any clothing you might have. Any worn held items will be destroyed. Only grass-types can enter Woody Woods. Abysmal Abyss opens only to those who are in a truly abysmal mood. And Deserted Desert spawns better items the fewer people in," Kia explained, taking the paddle and rowing at a gentle pace.

"Oh my Arceus, could you go any slower?! Shut up and row, both of you!" Formora snapped.

 **B10F-B13F**

And so the boys paddled on, doing their best to keep up with their lady's increasing demands to go faster. They tried dutifully, but their arms were beginning to get tired. They had a brief respite when Formora got hungry, but all the meal did was give her more ammo to her orders.

"Don't tell me you're tired; you just ate!" "I don't care if your arms hurt, just paddle for Arceus' sake!"

 **B14F**

Why weren't they there yet?! Formora scowled as she lay back. If she were the one paddling, they would have reached the village half an hour ago. She needed new teammates; Kia and Firnen were slacking off on their duties more and more these days.

"Oh my!" she heard Kia shout.

"What now?" she demanded as three Krabbys, four Unfeasant, a Binacle, two Poliwhirls, and three Lombres fell from the ceiling.

And now they had to contend with a Monster House! Just _great_!

Enraged, Formora stood, facing the crowd with her hands outstretched. She summoned all of her power, fueling it with pent-up rage and frustration.

"GO!" she screamed, unleashing the fury welling up in her finger tips.

Her power obeyed eagerly, and she sent forth a mighty flurry of ice and snow that froze every enemy in the room as well as most of the trees.

She sat back down, panting, but pleased.

"About time! Kia, use Draco Meteor," she wheezed. She went through a quick succession on her moves, learning that she now had Hail, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, and Blizzard.

"Okay…" Kia said doubtfully, flying a little ways in front of Firnen and Formora.

He took a deep breath, then began summoning the sphere of energy.

"Put all of your might into it. Your rage, your fury, all your pent-up emotions. Let it surge forward like a bursting dam," she instructed.

He obeyed, letting loose the sphere with a guttural cry. The sphere flew high, high into the air. Where it broke apart, sending a torrent of draconic energy down upon the swamp. Each fragment caused a great _splash_ as it landed, drenching the Renegades.

Formora did not mind, at least for a moment.

"You see what happens when you actually put in effort?" she snarked, crossing her arms.

Kia looked like he was going to say something, but seemed to think better on it.

"I'm just glad we're that much stronger," Firnen enthused.

Formora nodded her agreement.

 **Merdavee Village**

She saw a village atop wooden boards ahead. Her pulse quickened, blood racing in anticipation of the fun she was about to have. She forced herself to be calm, though her fingers itched for her knife.

"Follow my lead," she told the boys as they paddled up to the dock.

The village itself would never be impressive. The buildings were made of simple straw huts, and appeared to sustain itself through gathering and fishing, judging by the numerous Pokemon with poles sitting at the edges.

The cafeteria back home was bigger than the entire place.

An elderly Politoed ambled up to them with a warm smile. Judging by the staff and necklace he wore, he was the leader.

"Good day to you, fine visitors! What brings you here to our wonderful little village?" he boomed, holding out his hand.

Formora ignored it.

"Hello! We're a traveling playgroup. We're here to entertain your village," she said brightly, but with a cold smile.

"Oh, how marvelous! Everyone, gather 'round!" the chieftain exclaimed.

The curious villagers crowded around the trio.

"How's about a demonstration? My men will play a tribe of angry hunters, and you'll play as a bunch of baby Spheals. Aaaaand go!" Formora giggled.

Immediately, Kia and Firnen attacked the villagers with Dragon Breath and Dragon Pulse. As they began screaming and running, the boys destroyed the nearest houses with the same moves.

"And, scene!" Formora beamed as they returned to her side.

"Wh-who are you?!" the chieftain demanded, gripping his staff threateningly.

"Never fear, Mayor! We'll stop them!" a male voice shouted. From out of the water came a buff-looking Swampert, Blastoise, and Simipour.

"Oh look, more baby Spheals," Formora giggled.

The Swampert pointed a thick finger at the trio.

"You there! We're here to stop you from your assault on our home!" he shouted.

"Eleven," Formora said.

"You won't get away with this!" the Blastoise agreed, slamming a fist into his meaty hand.

"Fourteen," Formora yawned.

"You're going to _pay!_ " the Simipour declared.

"Thirteen," Formora replied, inspecting her fingertips.

"You're…you're…What are you doing?!" the Swampert demanded, utterly confused.

"Hm? Oh, nothing. It's just a game I play with myself. I hear certain lines from my victims so often I've started counting them," she explained, lazily flicking out her knife.

The baby Spheals stared at her in horror.

"You monster…" the Blastoise said faintly.

"Eighteen!" Formora said brightly.

"Oh yeah? Well, we're gonna…uh…throw you in prison!" the Simipour said.

"Oh my! _Six_ ," Formora cackled.

She threw her knife at the Swampert, embedding it in his thigh.

"Now, _**TIME FOR SOME**_ **FUN** _!"_

* * *

When she left the splintered posts (It was all that was left when she was finished), her mood was vastly improved. She even got to add fifteen more 'Why are you doing this?!'s to her count, making the current record 27.

Today had been a pretty good day.

Still, though, there was a part of her that continued to feel numb. She didn't understand; she'd left an entire village bloodied and broken. Why was she not in the perfect mood?

Perhaps she needed Ezra. Yes, that had to be it. Surely, defeating her sworn nemesis would make her feel _something_.

Team Renegade returned home shortly after dinnertime. Along the way, they'd updated Giratina on Cresselia's mystery savior. He was taken aback when they mentioned Dark Void.

" **Dark Void? That's Darkrai's signature move, but he and Cresselia are bitter enemies. I suppose war does make for strange bedfellows, though. Very well, thank you for your report. I will add Darkrai to the list of enemy Legendaries,"** he had said.

So the Legendary of Nightmares was now friends with Cresselia? Formora stabbed at a pea, imagining it was Darkrai's head. She'd be sure to give him a _proper_ thank-you.

She glanced behind her, spotting Flora eating a banana by herself. She smiled as she got up. She may not be able to have Darkrai or Cresselia, but Flora would suffice for now.

"STOP!" Formora yelled, racing over and knocking the banana out of Flora's startled hand.

"Wh-what?!" the Floette squeaked.

Formora put her hands on her hips. "That banana has 105 calories! Have you _not_ been listening to what I've said?!"

"But…it's a banana…" Flora faltered, staring at the fallen fruit.

"And do you know what happens if you eat too many?! You get _weak_! Chest pain! Death! Do you _really_ want an open casket with how fat you are right now?! Do you _really_ want _hundreds_ of Pokemon staring at your bloated corpse in its plus-sized coffin? Well? DO YOU?!" Formora demanded, getting in Flora's face.

Flora's lip trembled as tears appeared in her eyes. "No…"

"I thought so. Be more careful with what you eat, alright? I'll deliver you some reading material tonight."

It was the little things, Formora mused as she headed up to her room, that made life worthwhile.

* * *

 **I actually did keep a count of those lines. Then I added some more from the defunct Desert Village for good measure.**

 **The next post will contain: a Ruins close to home, a sworn enemy close to home, and brewing terror** _ **at**_ **home.**


	45. Chapter 12 Sabotaging Ezra

**Chapter 12. Sabotaging Ezra**

The next morning found Formora sitting by herself in the cafeteria. She stirred a blueberry around her plate with a fork, wishing _something_ interesting would happen. She had no duties to attend to, but she needed to move, to do something—anything to distract her from the multitude of failures piling up around her.

A laugh behind her caught her attention. Vanilluxe, Duosion, and Leafeon were chatting nearby.

"Yeah, my niece is the exact same. Her birthday's coming up, so I offered to be in charge of entertainment so her parents could focus on decorations and food," Leafeon was saying.

"That's so nice! What do you have planned so far?" Vanilluxe asked.

"Well, we're hosting it at the pool in Firewood. We're certain she'll become a Vaporeon the second Luminous Spring works again. So there's a plethora of water games we can do. She also likes balloon Pokemon and face painting, so I've hired a clown," Leafeon continued.

"Ughhh," it sounded like Duosion was shuddering. "I could never do that. I _haaaate_ clowns...Can't even stand the thought of them."

"Yeah, her dad was iffy too, but I know a guy who's really great with the scared kids. I'm sure he could even convert you, Du," Leafeon teased.

"Nope. Nope. Don't care."

This time Formora looked over. Duosion was covering his ears, eyes squeezed shut and shaking his head fervently.

Shinx burst into the room, beelining straight for Formora.

"Message for you, Lady Formora!" he exclaimed upon reaching her. "Our leader wishes to speak with you immediately in the meeting room!"

Thankful for having an objective, she departed for Intel. Kay and Kyurem were going over a plan nearby, but Giratina's mirror visage brightened when he spotted her.

" **Good morning, Formora. I have a little job for you. As I was extracting another Plate from Arceus today, I realized that the Light will make a move against us soon. See, Arceus now only has two Plates left, so in their desperation they will attempt to strike us down. I am not afraid, though I have a couple of items they want desperately: the Time Shield, the Air Blade, and the Essence Brooch. They're the signature items of Dialga, Palkia, and Xerneas, respectively. It's well-known that we're in possession of them. But if we were to hide them away where few people would look…well, they would have attacked us for nothing, and we could deal a huge if not finishing blow to them. But that is for another day. Today, I wish for you to destroy a place called Hidden Ruins. It's on this island, as it so happens. At the end is a map to where Celestial Spire is, the only one in existence that does not hide the Spire's location whenever it is invisible. I understand Ezra will find its location eventually, but we can delay her for a considerable amount of time. Shinx can show you where the Ruins lie,"** he told her.

Shinx brought out a map, pointing to the forests that lay on the western side of the island.

"Just keep following the path past Lucida and into the forest. It'll take you to a rock wall, but the dungeon entrance is hidden beneath the ground," he explained.

She shrugged. "Sounds simple enough. I'll get going right away."

* * *

 **Hidden Ruins ( watch?v=HaZ-g8pxdKs)**

The trio followed the path that led from their mountain, past Lucida Town, and into the forests that blanketed the entire western tip of the island.

The trees here grew close together, shrouding the Renegades from the sun's bright rays. Formora was grateful for the small reprieve from the hot sun, but she could do without the trees that seemed to loom down at her.

An hour later, the path led directly to a sheer rock wall. In front of it, however, was a large hole.

"Someone's been here, and quite recently," Kia warned, leaning down to look at footprints in the dust.

Formora cracked a wicked, hungry smile. "And my day just got better. Let's go crash this explorer's party."

They jumped down into the hole, landing on packed dirt. The light was dim, this far down in the ground, but from what light shone through the top, Formora could see ancient, faded drawings on the walls. Crumbling pillars held the roof aloft—but barely. One good earthquake would cause the entire place to collapse.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" she said impatiently, her voice echoing in the darkness.

 **B1F-B4F**

Like the chamber before, the dungeon was dark and gloomy, its air stale and musty. Every step sent a cloud of dust into the air, sending one or more Renegades into a coughing fit. There was very little light in these abandoned halls. Formora could only see a few meters ahead at a time. It certainly made bumping into the resident Bronzors, Baltoys, Zubats, Natus, and Kadabras awkward.

The ancient wooden floor was a dark goldenrod, while the cracked stone walls were a jagged smoky-gray. It was obvious this place had once been revered in times past, but none had come to tread here for a very, very long time.

Except now, especially since someone had discovered this place recently. Were they still here? Formora certainly hoped so. After how her week was going, she needed something to cheer her up. Actually, she had Drapion's execution to look forward to in three days. She smiled faintly. Well, at least she had _something_.

 **B5F**

"Do you know what Pokemon those footprints belonged to?" she asked Kia.

"Not especially. I'm not well-versed in identification via footprints," he replied.

She huffed. "Then what's the point of being a tracker?! Ugh!"

 **B6F-B8F**

She stalked through the floors, angry at herself, at her team for being dead weight. She didn't respond when Kia and Firnen tried to make conversation with her, and eventually they shut up entirely.

 _Good,_ thought Formora. _Finally they do something I approve of._

— **Waypoint—**

Formora stopped to have a drink when they reached the halfway point. The water was brackish, but she didn't care.

 **Lower Hidden Ruins ( watch?v=-y1gVVAdnbw)**

 **B1F**

Now the floor was an unappealing yellow-brown color that reminded her distinctly of vomit. A few scraggly tufts of grass grew in between cracks. The teal walls had yellow moss growing on it. It was still incredibly dark, and as they traveled they found that the dungeon Pokemon were now evolved. Formora wasn't intimidated, as most of them were weak to her powers.

 **B2F**

Formora found the door to a Sealed Chamber. Phasing into the room revealed it was hiding a Dusk Stone, of which she had no use for. She threw it in the pool of water that lined the edge of the chamber, and left.

 **B3F-B8F**

On they walked, with no sign of the mystery explorer. It was possible they'd missed him by hours, or even a day or two. Formora's gut told her otherwise. She had a distinct feeling they weren't alone here, and that fact alone made her hurry, eager to have some fun before the explorer left. Though she kept waiting for the 'We're not alone' warning to come, it never did. Perhaps the culprit was poking around at the end?

 **Hidden Chamber**

Team Renegade arrived at a large black room lined with elegant pillars. It was quite chilly in here despite the lit torches in the many sconces on the walls. There was still lots of dust, but it had been disturbed.

Formora saw the reason why, and she froze in delight.

There, looking at an ancient mural along the back wall, was Ezra, accompanied by her Pumpkaboo friend. The stupid girls hadn't heard their entrance, and Formora quickly signaled for her team to keep quiet.

Formora's heart raced in anticipation, and she caught herself automatically reaching for the knife hidden within her Froslass Bow. She forced her arm to keep still, though how she _ached_ to obey her desires.

The mural Team Banshee was staring at was an outdated map of the continent. Formora could see islands that no longer existed, and a couple mountain ranges that had long eroded away. But in the very center, where Celestial Spire was, was Arceus' symbol, the ring around Its torso.

"…We should get back home and tell the others what we've found," Ezra said after a moment, rubbing a kink out of her neck.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," Formora giggled, rubbing her hands together.

Ezra and the Pumpkaboo whipped around, faces full of fear. The horror on her enemy's face was a refreshing wave after this awful week.

"What are you three doing here? There's nothing here but an ancient map," Ezra demanded, looking like she was trying to put on a brave face.

Formora laughed at the Litwick's miserable attempt. "Oh, this week is turning out to be wonderful! I get to kill my greatest enemy, and watch a traitor drown! I never expected to find you here; perhaps it is fate telling me it is time?"

"You're outnumbered with no place to go. Why don't you just surrender, Ezra?" she continued gently, almost lovingly. Ezra was going to get a lot of love, alright—from Formora's knife.

"You're one to talk. You three are as trapped on this island as we are. Kialandi can't fly with both you and Firnen on his back. And once I out who you three are, every Pokemon on this island will ensure that you three are taken into custody!" Ezra stated. She would almost have sounded sincere if her voice hadn't cracked at the end.

"Wait, you don't know?" Kia tilted his head as Formora bent down to pick up a sharp rock.

"Oh…I was afraid you'd say that. That hurts me, Ezra, it really does. That _hurts_ me…like… _ **this!**_ "

She plunged the sharp end into the fold of her left arm, never once breaking eye contact with Ezra. Though blood gushed from the wound, she felt no pain, only a deep, gratifying pleasure as she watched the blood drain from Team Banshee's faces as they stared at her injury.

She laughed, chucking a Shadow Ball them, knocking the ghosts over like bowling pins.

* * *

 **BOSS BATTLE! ( watch?v=Zis2TtxdFjQ)**

Team Banshee immediately scrambled behind a pillar, as if that would save them.

Kia flew forward, summoning a Draco Meteor that disintegrated the aged column and sent Ezra and the Pumpkaboo straight into the wall in front of them. They fell to the ground with a splat, both scrambling to their feet.

"Mm, it's a bit cold in here," Formora mused, crossing her arms playfully.

"I can heat things up if you'd like," Ezra offered, her flame rising higher in response.

Formora laughed. "I'd prefer the opposite, actually. The cold makes me stronger."

She rose high into the chamber, inexplicably summoning her trump card.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

Her teammates flinched as stray hailstones struck them. The Pumpkaboo whispered something to Ezra, who nodded. Making plans, were they? How _adorable_.

"There! Much better," Formora beamed.

Ezra tried sending a Flame Burst at her, and it was too easy for Formora to dodge it. She floated lazily around Ezra, who was turning this way and that, trying to spot her.

"Boo," she giggled from behind, hitting Ezra and her friend with Shadow Ball.

"Ergh, her Snow Cloak boosts evasion!" the Pumpkaboo shouted through gritted teeth.

"Indeed, Formora is unstoppable now!" Kia laughed as he prepared a Sonic Boom.

"That's 'My Lady' to you!" Formora screamed, whipping around to face him. She had tolerated their disrespect long enough; he and Firnen sorely needed a reminder of her rank.

Kia and Firnen had the audacity to look dumbstruck at this order. They gave each other a confused look, and the useless Vibrava ended his attack. Her hands itched to shake him silly. Why wasn't he attacking?!

"Well don't just stand there; help me!" she snapped, throwing Ice Beam at the Pumpkaboo, freezing her. If she had to shout at them one more time, she would throw all four of them out of her window.

Kia remembered his place and breathed a heavy rain of Dragon Breath down upon the Pop-kaboo, KO'ing her instantly.

A Reviver Seed activated with a _vree_ , and a white beam shone down upon the Pumpkaboo, revitalizing her instantly. No matter; Formora may not have Cresselia to beat multiple times, but Ezra and her friend were a _thousand_ times better.

"Hah! Yah!" the Pumpkaboo shouted, obtaining a purple aura as two piles of candy appeared around her and Formora's teammates, who now had similar auras.

"What the…?" Firnen paused, looking down upon himself incredulously.

"We're part ghost-type now. But nevertheless, it shall not stop us!" Kia resolved, flying high into the air and sending forth a Sonic Boom.

"Ah!" Ezra cried as the blast hit her smack in the face. She stumbled backwards, but didn't appear overly hurt. She shook her head, and retaliated with a purple wave of malicious energy at him.

He dodged the Hex, and Formora dove in, chucking her Shadow Ball at the little Litwick. Ezra jumped behind a pillar, safe from the attack, gloating, "Hah! You missed!"

"Hehe, my bad," Formora giggled, Cloaking and reappearing behind Ezra. She shot another Shadow Ball, and this time it hit its mark.

 _Vree!_

Meanwhile, Kia had gotten himself confused by the Pumpkaboo's Confuse Ray. He tried Feint Attacking the wall next to him with no avail.

Firnen charged for the newly-revived Ezra, his head bowed low and his tusks glowing white. With a scream, she narrowly dodged his Guillotine as he struck the area her head had been a mere second ago by jumping on top of his head, clinging on for dear life.

"Get off!" Firnen hissed, trying to pry her off.

Formora shot him with Ice Beam, knocking Ezra off as well as sending Firnen to his knees.

"You hit me!" he exclaimed incredulously, looking betrayed.

"You were in the way," she told him with no emotion as she renewed the hailstorm.

"YAH!" the Pumpkaboo shouted out of nowhere. Formora and Ezra turned to see a Shadow Ball whiz past them and onto Firnen, knocking him backwards.

"Shadow Ball. I forgot Shadow Sneak," the Pumpkaboo told Ezra as they double-teamed Kia with Night Shade and Razor Leaf.

"How unoriginal," Formora snorted, showing the ghosts what a _real_ Shadow Ball looked like.

Ezra recovered quickly, throwing an X-Eye Seed at Formora. The Froslass vanished, reappearing behind the Pumpkaboo and grabbing her by the ruffle on her head. She shot a Blizzard point-blank straight into her face, KO'ing her instantly.

 _Vree!_

She turned her attention to Ezra, her teammates joining her side. The Litwick struck all three with Flame Burst, but none so much as flinched.

"How…?" the weakling faltered.

"We've trained," Formora grinned.

"Shadow Ball!" came the Pumpkaboo's cry. Formora stumbled as the surprisingly-powerful attack hit her.

"Keep her busy," she ordered Kia.

He gladly obeyed, probably wanting revenge for the confusion and Trick-or-Treat. Ezra managed to jump away from Firnen's Dragon Claw, but was then hit with a succession of Firnen's regular attack, Shadow Ball, then finally Earth Power.

She collapsed to the ground, struggling so very, _very_ hard to get up. Formora nodded in approval when Ezra finally got to her feet, panting heavily. She would have been disappointed if Ezra didn't have at least _a little_ moxie.

Somehow, Ezra found the energy for a Hex. She clumsily threw it at Formora and Firnen. Formora vanished once more as Firnen evaded. Formora reappeared behind Ezra, grabbing her by the hand and yanking her forcefully off the ground. In her other hand, her cut one, she prepared an extra-strong Shadow Ball.

Ezra and Formora's eyes met for a second. Formora saw fear, lots of fear. Yet there was still a spark of hope in that green eye. The Froslass smiled inwardly, thinking of how much fun it would be when that spark finally died along with its host.

She threw the Ball.

 _Vree!_

She tossed Ezra into the center of the room right as Kia did with the Pumpkaboo. The Renegades surrounded the girls, all of them cackling.

The prepared their strongest attacks—when something bowled into them, knocking them away from the ghosts.

"That's what you get for hurting my friends!" a high-pitched voice stormed nearby.

Formora looked to see who her soon-to-be knife holder was.

"Hoopa! What are you doing here?" Ezra exclaimed, standing.

"I decided to check in on you guys, and I saw the battle. Leave everything to me!" Formora's knife holder said.

She scowled. Of all the Pokemon today…

"I remember you. You held that sniveling wreck of a Zoroark off while these two escaped back in the north. You're Hoopa, and you like to warp. Well, allow me to put an end to it!" she growled, throwing her Shadow Ball at him.

Hoopa jumped inside his hoop, warping to another part of the room. Firnen bounded for him, Dragon Claws ready, but the Legendary sent him back with a Psybeam. He didn't notice Formora vanish and reappear behind him. She knocked him away, grabbing his hoop and studying it carefully.

 **Weather Condition: Normal**

"No! Give that back!" Hoopa wailed, shooting another Psybeam. She tanked the attack effortlessly, and without any emotion bent the hoop inward until it resembled an apple core.

She tossed the broken hoop back at him, where he cradled it, looking distraught. He looked up at her, where her teammates now joined. He bit his lip, then ran back to Team Banshee. He summoned up a huge Light Screen that extended from the floor to the ceiling, effectively separating Team Renegade from their foes.

Kia and Firnen attacked the barrier, while Formora still stood, curious to see what he would do now.

"I was afraid I'd have to do this," Hoopa was saying, his voice faint from on the other side of the barrier. He pulled out an ornate bottle that was decorated in his colors.

"What's that?" Ezra asked, staring warily at Team R.

"I'm going to have to revert to my true form," Hoopa replied sadly, stroking the bottle.

Formora's interest peaked. 'True form'?

"What's so bad about that?" the Pumpkaboo asked.

"My true form…is a monster," Well, that made two of them. "It makes me irrationally angry and destructive. I'll want to destroy everything—and everyone—here. But it's the only way I'll be able to stop those three. I'll get more hoops, too, so I can take you two to safety."

Formora chuckled. _Keep telling yourself that, kid._

"What? No, we're getting out of here together!" Ezra protested.

"No! When I open this bottle, I won't care if you're an ally; I'll just want to hurt you…" the rest of his speech was quiet, and she could no longer hear what he was saying. He pulled out an orange-and-cream bow, explaining something to Team Banshee.

She decided that she'd had enough of this charade.

"Could I have a moment?" she called, floating up to the roof. "I came here to do a job, and I intend to finish it!"

With that, she summoned four Shadow Balls, sending them all through the support pillars that held the ceiling aloft. Immediately, the ground began trembling, and cracks appeared in the roof.

"What are you doing?!" Ezra screamed at her as the Light Screen ended.

"We came here to collapse this place so the Champion of Light would be unable to learn of Arceus' location. I was too late, but it's _not_ too late to kill you all," Formora replied coldly.

"Ah! We don't have much time! Ezra, Carys, tell Neal I won't be back for a few days, okay?" Hoopa wailed, uncorking the bottle.

A fine pink mist swirled out, homing in on Hoopa and enveloping him completely. It faded away, and he began to glow white. He grew, grew, and continued growing until he was almost as tall as the chamber. While his color scheme was the same, he now had six arms, five hoops (plus his dented one), and a _very_ large hole in his chest.

He turned to Team Banshee, grabbing them and muttering, "Here," as he took them through a hoop.

"HEY!" Formora howled, seeing her target get away _again_.

She turned to Hoopa. She'd beat Ezra's location out of him if it was the last thing she did.

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HELLFIRE I WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU!" she roared, blasting him with Blizzard as chunks of the ceiling began to fall.

Hoopa barely flinched as he strode towards her, his eyes equally filled with hatred.

"We gotta _go!"_ Kia shouted in her ear. She felt a hand yank her away, then a bright blue light shone down around her.

She blinked, and suddenly found herself outside the ruins. The ground was shaking, and a large sinkhole began to form where the ruins lay beneath. She watched as the ruins caved in, creating a giant hole in the middle of the forest.

"…It's funny," she said after the dust had settled.

"What is?" Firnen asked hesitantly.

"I am so angry, so full of rage, that I don't even feel it anymore," she replied, slightly awed in spite of herself. She was numb, so numb. She hoped Hoopa enjoyed being crushed to death. She certainly wouldn't have.

She turned. "I'm going home. Don't bother me."

* * *

There was a knock on her door.

"Lady Formora? You have a visitor," came Teysa's voice.

She'd been lying face-down on her bed ever since she'd come back. She didn't even have the will to argue with her father when he showed up in her head, laughing at her.

Formora opened her mouth to yell at her servant, but decided to save her ire for whoever needed her.

She opened her door, finding a rough-looking Mightyena waiting in her living room.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"I came b'cause of yer post, miss," he replied, handing her the job request she'd put out ages ago.

"Oh. Oh! Yes, of course," Formora recalled, smiling faintly.

"Yer post didn't mention what 'xactly ya wanted…"

"It's very simple. In three days, I want you to follow an Alakazam named Jace around. You'll… _encourage…_ him to arrive to events on time. Threaten him. Make him _fear_ for his life if he doesn't pay attention to time. If anyone objects, tell them I ordered you to. If they still object, tell them I'd be _glad_ to talk it over alongside Oksana," Formora explained.

The Mightyena blinked. "So…ya want me to…make sure some guy isn't late…?"

"Yes. I'll pay you good money. 500,000 Poké up front just for agreeing."

"Deal," he said instantly.

"Excellent! Let me go and get your money. I won't be long," Formora beamed, getting up to go down to Dungeon Alley.

Only a few customers were there at this time of night. She spotted Cradily buying supplies, while Duosion was just leaving with a stack of Poké. She got an idea, and sidled up to Cradily.

"I have a job for you," she told him.

"Oh? Like what?" he replied, turning to face her.

She grinned. "Dress up as a clown as torment Duosion."

"Uh…why…?"

"Because _I_ was the one who risked my life to save your stupid team. I'm not asking, Cradily."

"…Very well, I suppose…Um, for how long, exactly?"

"I dunno. A week. Maybe more. I'll pay you for your trouble."

"How much?"

She gave him a number. Cradily was suddenly much, _much_ more willing to accept the order.

* * *

 **The next installment shall have: a temporal shield, the home of an ally, and a request for help.**


	46. Chapter 46

After recruiting Cradily, she had sporadically decided to go relax at Frigid Tundra.

A stray sunbeam shining right at her face caused her to wake with a grumble. She turned to her side, already resigning herself to an awful day, just like the others lately.

Why were things going so wrong? It wasn't weakness on her part, oh _no._ She'd proven to all her enemies her superiority, yet time and time again they'd slipped from her hands. Then why?

She groaned, flopping onto her stomach and screaming to the heavens, "WHY CAN'T I BE HAPPY?!"

She sat up with a jolt. The answer was so _obvious_.

"It's Ezra," she said to no one. "She's behind all this."

Her enemy's mere existence was enough to cause her so much misery.

 _But after I kill Ezra, everything will be better,_ she realized, looking up in shock. _With her gone, then I'll be free._

Frowning, she ducked her head back down, rubbing her Froslass Bow as she plotted.

 _Ezra knows I've always been stronger._

 _I dunno; if you were so great then why is she still free?_ Her father snorted.

 _GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Giratina says the Light will try something, and soon. She'll spend a lot of time training, gathering anything she can use against me. She does like Reviver Seeds…she'll try and wear me down before her crutch runs out. So she'll go for powerful attacks and items. Violent Seeds, X-Eye Seeds, moves like Fire Blast or Shadow Ball…I've_ got _to be ready._ Everyone _has to be ready._

 _Or else she wins._

She had barely come to that conclusion when a gruff voice from behind made her jump. She whirled around to face the intruder, her knife already in hand and ready to be used.

But no one was there, at least not in the flesh. Giratina's annoyed face had appeared in the iceberg she'd been leaning against.

" **There you are. Formora, I need you back at base** _ **pronto**_ **,"** he snapped.

She stood. Two could play at this game.

"I'm busy," she said in the same tone, crossing her arms.

" **Busy relaxing, I see. I told you yesterday that I need you to squirrel away the items that would give our enemies a serious advantage over us!"** he boomed.

She opened her mouth for a retort, then closed it. A serious advantage?

"…Very well. I'll depart immediately to the location," she said, trying to keep her tone even.

" **Starry Chasm. It's on the southeast part of the mainland, about 100 miles southwest of the Restored Haven,"** from the sound of it, Giratina was doing the same.

His face vanished from the ice, but Formora did not leave the tundra. Instead, she huffed and flopped back down, looking up at the sky with a scowl.

"'Go on a reverse fetch quest, Formora'," she muttered to herself, crossing her arms behind her head. "'Can't get anyone else to do it. Oh, no, only _you_ can do this in-creeeedibly important task because _you're the only one taking the future seriously!'_ "

With an annoyed grunt she stood, gathering the few things she'd taken with her. She'd obey Giratina, but she wasn't about to let him get away with ruining her vacation.

Before she left, she blasted the iceberg into pieces with Shadow Ball.

 **Starry Chasm ( watch?v=sl_yZG5Y1Ro)**

She arrived at the spot the next day, having took her sweet time ambling through the countryside. The peace and quiet had been nice, but nowhere would ever beat the sheer _bliss_ she felt in Frigid Tundra.

Starry Chasm wasn't terribly flashy. The entrance was set inside a cave in a quaint little forest. Tiny crystals growing inside the mouth glittered brightly, like little stars.

Kia and Firnen were waiting, furious looks on their faces. They stood when she approached.

"There you are! What took you so long?!" Firnen demanded, crossing his arms.

She did the same, already wishing she weren't here. "It's none of your business, and I _encourage_ you to be quiet. I'm here now, aren't I? Well, bring it out."

They stared at her like the idiots they were. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"The thing that's _so_ important I had to interrupt my business!"

Kia carefully set the bag down and brought out a huge, thick sheet of iron. It was slightly taller than a Wailmer, and almost as wide. It was a dark blue underneath a gray metal plate. The very center held an aqua diamond. Aqua stripes ran vertically down the blue part. There were two gray spikes on the top, and on the back of the shield was a huge blue leather strap.

"Hm," Formora sniffed, turning away. "Whatever. Let's just go."

 **B1F-B4F**

Starry Chasm…Jirachi's home, she recalled, glancing disdainfully around the joint. The electric blue floor had purple stones scattered about, while the almost-black navy walls were decorated in tiny crystals, giving the illusion of the night sky.

It was alright, she supposed as she got to work. She said very little as they cleared the floors one by one, hardly taunting the various dungeon Pokemon or shouting orders. She felt nothing as she cut down any who stood in her way. Ledians, Gothoritas, Lunatones, Butterfrees, Togetics, Sylveons, Espeons…they all fell easily.

Her mouth twitched. Not even fighting was very fun anymore…

 **B5F**

"Hey, um, Lady Formora?" Kia piped up hesitantly.

"What?" she demanded with an annoyed huff.

"Um, Cate was wondering if you could talk to Marvel and Troja. She can't take their abuse anymore, and since you're, um, _very_ persuasive—"

"Fine," she snapped.

"Y-you'll really do it?" he asked, sounding incredulous.

"Only to get you to shut up. Get me a bunch of alarm clocks and some paint cans by tonight," she ordered, a plan already forming.

"Um, what do you—"

"JUST DO IT."

"Yes ma'am!" Kia squeaked, shrinking back.

 **B6F-B8F**

Her teammates had the sense to be quiet, at least for a while. Formora began imagining each dungeon foe was Ezra.

She felt better, just a bit.

 **B9F**

Her mood was soon soured as the Espeon they were fighting neatly jumped away from Firnen's swing.

"How did you miss that?! It was right in front of you!" she snapped, throwing her knife at the enemy.

The blade landed directly between its eyes. With a squeak, it vanished, her knife clattering to the floor.

"I'm sorry, alright? What's with you today?" Firnen snapped back.

Finally, _finally_ she began to feel again! She marched to him, getting directly in his face. His entire face went pale as he realized his grand mistake.

"What was that?" she asked in a deadly calm voice.

Firnen threw himself to the ground.

"Forgive me, My Lady! I will do better!" he groveled, clasping his fists together as he looked up at her with pleading eyes.

"Very well. Now get up," she replied, deciding to let it slide.

 **B10F-B16F**

True to his word, Firnen never missed another attack again. He knew the consequences otherwise.

Meanwhile, the lovely feeling that had gripped Formora had not faded. She basked in its warmth, allowing it to consume all other feelings. It gave her purpose, a reason to continue. It made her _happy_.

 _Anger…Anger is such a wonderful emotion._

 **B17F**

"Hyah!" Formora grunted, ducking beneath the enemy Butterfree and throwing Shadow Ball directly up.

It crashed against the Butterfree's body, causing it to begin falling. To its credit, it righted itself just before it hit the ground.

Turning to the Froslass underneath it, it flapped its wings, sending a cloud of red powder onto her.

Immediately upon contact, her skin broke out into a mess of angry red hives. She scratched viciously at the irritated, burning skin, shouting curses at the offender. Rage Powder indeed.

The Butterfree was quickly dealt with by Kia as Formora scratched.

"You okay?" he asked, levitating nearby.

"DO I LOOK OKAY?!" she roared back at him.

 **B18F-B20F**

She hung back, allowing her teammates to take on the enemies. She rubbed her back against the rough walls, sighing in content as it alleviated some of the remaining itchiness.

Thankfully, by the time they had reached the end, the effects of the Rage Powder had completely worn off.

 **Starry Chasm Chamber**

They came to a grand chamber with a neon blue floor and the 'night sky' wall. In the center, a large purple star was inlaid into the stone. Floating above it was a star-shaped Pokemon.

"Hello…" Jirachi mumbled, stifling a yawn. The Legendary looked as if she was moments away from falling asleep.

Formora frowned. This was to be the guardian of the Time Shield?

"Hi Jirachi. Thanks for looking after the Shield," Kia said, handing over the Shield.

Jirachi nodded, though it looked more as if her head dipped and she bolted back awake.

"Of…*yaaaawwwn* course…Anything for the cause. I'll tuck it away….after a quick nap…" she said, the tassels on her body beginning to wrap her up in a cocoon.

Formora slapped the Wish Pokemon across the face. Jirachi yelped, finally alert.

"What was that for?!" she demanded, holding a hand to the reddening area.

"This is the Time Shield. _Dialga's signature item_. Were he to be reunited with it, it would give the Light a huge advantage. Yet here you are, napping away while Ezra could sneak in, take it, and you'd be none the wiser! WHAT KIND OF DARK MEMBER ARE YOU?!" Formora roared, moving towards Jirachi until the latter was pressed against the back wall.

"I-I'm sorry, Lady! I promise by the power of the stars, the Shield will _not_ leave this room!" Jirachi trembled, holding a hand up in a vow.

Formora turned away. "It better not, or you'll have much more to fear than some time deity and a blessed candle."

Dinnertime at the base found Formora stabbing her food with her fork until it was a pile of mush. Part of her wished Ezra would take the Shield, at least so Formora would have a good excuse to 'reprimand' Jirachi. Seriously, trusting the Shield to a narcoleptic? What was Giratina thinking?!

She looked across the room, watching the other residents eat and converse with their friends. Charmeleon was shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth like they were the last on Earth. Kia was sitting with Cate at her table, looking enraptured as Cate spoke merrily to him.

Her eyes fell on Flora, who was staring at the table in front of her, devoid of all food except a glass of water. Fauna offered her a bite of her own food, to which Flora declined. She caught Formora's eye.

Formora put on a big grin and gave her a thumbs up, nodding approvingly.

Flora smiled in return, but it did not reach her eyes.

Upon returning to her room, she found a parcel full of paint cans and various alarm clocks at her door. She took the clocks and went back downstairs.

She peered into the hallway that led to the normal dorms. It was clear. She popped into the training room, hailing Manectric.

"Hey Manectric. I'm looking for Troja; do you know where his room is?"

Following his directions, she phased into the Porygon-Z's room. It was very…uniform. Bed made perfectly, objects in drawers perfectly organized and put away. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere. When did he have time for this level of meticulousness?

She dismissed the unimportant thought and set to work. Fortunately, the alarm clocks were the silent kind, no ticking, no tocking. The only noise they made was when their alarms went off. And go off they would.

She set them to go off at various times, mostly in the middle of the night. She planted them behind his pillow, under his bed, in his closet…

She then noticed a normal alarm clock on his nightstand. It was set to six AM.

"What an unfortunate time to get up," she remarked to the clock.

She helpfully it to a more appropriate wake-up time, ten AM.

"Poor Troja needs more sleep," she giggled.

As she phased back into the hallway, a loud screech came from nearby. She saw Duosion sprinting across the hallway like a Zubat out of hell.

"COME HERE, KIDDO, DONCHA WANT TO HAVE FUN?!" Cradily—in full clown makeup—cackled, chasing after Duosion as fast as his stubby legs could take him.

Formora barked out a startled laugh, silently praising herself for the idea. She hailed Cradily, waving him over.

"How's that?" he asked as he approached.

"Perfect performance. Hey, I have an idea I want to run by you. I know we try to make sure everyone feels confident about themselves, but how often do you see Pokemon like Cate or Team Inspire in the spotlight? So I was thinking we set up an Appreciation Night, for those who may not feel like their contributions matter," she shrugged.

"You have a point there. It sounds like a great idea. I'll run it by Gothorita, she'd love to set it up. Now if you'll excuse me, I have balloon Pokemon to make," Cradily said thoughtfully, leaving to resume his chase.

"WHERE'D THE SPECIAL BOY GO?! I HAVE A GIFT FOR HIIIIIM~"

 **Hey all, apologies for the long delay. Last semester was** _ **very**_ **rough, and I finally feel better to write again. I'm also trying to 'show' more and not just go 'Formy verbed adverbly. She felt x, and did y.' I think I did a lot better in this one, do let me know otherwise.**

 **The next post shall include: a dusky forest, a spatial weapon, and the return of a coincidental duo.**


	47. Chapter 47

Today was much different than the other days. Today was a bright spot in the dark void that was her life.

Today, Formora woke up with a smile on her face. She hummed a little tune as she made her bed and put on her Froslass Bow, tucking her knife safely inside the folds, and said a quick hello to an astonished Teysa on her way out.

Her teammates were already at their table when she skipped downstairs to the cafeteria. She filled her tray so high with food she could hardly see over it all. Navigating to the table was more the work of her memory than by sight.

"Good morning everyone!" she chirped as she sat down, catching a bowl of strawberries that had begun to fall off the mountain of food.

Her tablemates stared at her.

"You're…in a good mood today," Kia ventured slowly. He then flinched.

"Why wouldn't I be? Drapion's dying tonight! Say, I've heard there's a bet going around for how late Jace'll be. I want in. What are the current odds?" she asked, stuffing a fat forkful of pancake into her mouth.

"Uh, 100 for ten minutes, 500 for half an hour, 1000 for an hour, and Chandra's got 5000 Poké saying he won't even show up," Binacle listed in between slurps of juice.

"Is that all? Well, I've got one _million_ Poké on him showing up on time," Formora smiled sweetly as she cut up more pancake.

Her tablemates stared at her for a second, then all of them burst out into fits of laughter. The rambunctious noise made many of the surrounding Pokemon stop and look at the table of higher-ups in confusion and curiosity.

"Ha…Ha…Ha…Oh man, I'll tehke that bet. I've no quehlms about tehking your money!" Sonya wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye.

The others agreed to the terms, and she knew for a fact they were all thinking her the biggest sucker in the world. Oh, to see the looks on their faces tonight…

Formora only laughed and matched their banter.

* * *

After breakfast came an order from Giratina. The Dark Lord wished for them to hide away Palkia's special item, the Air Blade, in a tricky location named Dubious Woods.

The Blade itself was about four feet long, with a flat gray blade that reflected any and all light. A purple line ran halfway down the blade, and Formora swore she could see galaxies swirling within the stripe. The hilt was pink and shaped somewhat like a barnacle. Between the hilt and blade were three claw-like appendages. Even looking at it sent chills down Formora's spine.

Team Renegade came upon Troja as they prepared to leave. The Porygon-Z was staring hard at the floor and didn't notice their approach, bumping into Firnen.

"Oh! Firnen! Do accept my apologies. I was…distracted…" he mumbled, looking up for a brief second before returning to his examination of the tile.

"Whatever for?" Formora asked innocently.

Troja's head snapped up. "Lady Formora! Forgive me, I didn't see you. Um, well, this is going to sound very strange but…I just woke up. I set my alarm for dawn, yet it rang moments ago. I never changed it…"

"Batteries, maybe?" Kia suggested. Troja shook his head.

"No, it's electric. And that wasn't the only alarm that went off! All throughout the night, BRRRING! BRRRING! BRRRING! Clocks _everywhere!_ In my closet, under my bed… _Where'd they all come from?!_ It has been…an eventful night…" he said, looking back down.

"Sounds like it. Well, we have errands to run. Catch you later," Formora said, shaking his hand and giving him a hearty slap on the black before continuing down the hall.

Kia caught up to her, hovering by her head. "Um, My Lady…?"

"Hm?"

"Was that why—"

"Yes. Don't say a damn thing to him or you'll ruin this great day!" she laughed, staring at him with a wide smile.

He was not so daft as to miss the threat that lay beneath her sunny face.

* * *

 **Dubious Woods ( watch?v=hNqgnCIgkns)**

The dungeon was hidden in the center of dark, dense forest. The trees huddled together, sharing secrets with one another as their leaves whispered in the wind. The shade provided by the close-knit pines made it seem like dusk when the sun was shining brightly above. Most of the plants were stunted from the lack of light, though ivy was certainly thriving. The stuff covered _everything,_ from the trees to the other plants.

Giratina had said that this dungeon opened on a whim, and never for very long. Currently it was closed, the path disappearing in front of an archway created by two foreboding pines.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long for the entrance. After about an hour, the entrance appeared without preamble. No noise, no trembling, just _poof—_ it was here.

They hurried inside as soon as they noticed.

 **B1F-B5F**

No one was surprised to find that the light situation had not improved one bit. Formora could only make out dim silhouettes of her surroundings

The floor appeared to be hard-packed dirt with black perfect square stones set into the floor. The walls at first appeared to be made entirely out of ivy, but closer inspection revealed the plant was merely blanketing the stone beneath it. A few trees grew alongside the walls, slowly breaking the surrounding stone apart.

What got Formora the most was the sheer _variety_ of enemies the dungeon had to offer. Rotom, Dustox, Ninjask, Vileplume, Nuzleaf, Venonat, Parasect, Ariados, Venomoth, Beedrill, Mothim, Beautifly, Shiftree; if it was a bug-type, it was basically guaranteed to be here.

At least some of them dropped Boxes upon defeat, so that was pretty neat.

 **B6F**

"Oh hey, Kia, how are things with Cate?" Firnen asked as they stopped briefly to take an apple break.

Kia's wings lifted as a shy blush appeared on his cheeks. "Just wonderful! Every day I learn something new about her. I'm so glad I finally asked her out. I never knew what heaven felt like until now. And to keep me from rambling, do tell: any who's caught your eye?"

"Ah, well…" Firnen shrugged and turned away.

"Ooh, there is someone! Come on, who is it?" Kia breathed, hovering close behind Firnen's shoulders.

The Fraxure pushed him away playfully, his face gone red. "You'd just laugh."

"It's Flora isn't it?" Formora surmised.

Firnen burst out laughing. "Original One, _no_. It's uh…Sonya."

"Sonya, huh?" Formora echoed, leaning against the wall.

Sonya was tough, driven, and her sister loved pain and suffering as much as Formora did. Most importantly, the Ivanovas came to this continent with nothing to their name. Family massacred, no money, no idea how to speak the local language. Yet despite the atrocities they'd witnessed, they survived the streets, just like Formora.

"She'd be good for you," she found herself saying.

 **B7F-B10F**

Her contribution to the discussion of Firnen's crush ended there, as he and Kia began a serious debate on if to tell her, when, why, where, blah blah blah. The Fraxure was even worried about his _appearance_. What if she found him too bulky? Too forward, too confident? Could he borrow some cologne from Kia? What should he wear? What happens if she says yes?

On and on he went, at least until Formora bellowed at him to hush.

Kia agreed, saying only to speak from the heart when he thought the moment was right.

 **B11F**

"Oh, been meaning to ask, did any of you guys hear screaming last night? Or was it my movie?" Firnen asked, raking his claws down a Ninjask's wing. The speedy little bug disappeared just before it crash-landed.

"Yeah, Cradily was chasing Duosion dressed up as a clown," Kia replied, picking up the Dainty Box the Ninjask had dropped.

"What? Why?"

"I paid him to," Formora answered, peeking into a short little hallway. Dead end.

" _Why_?" Her teammates chorused, mouths gaping like a fish out of water

She shrugged. "I was bored."

Kia and Firnen could only stare.

 **B12F-B14F**

On the trio went, defeating foes and bumping into walls by accident. They stopped briefly for another apple break on B14F. A Beautifly appeared, drawn to the scent of their food, but Team R made sure it knew it wasn't invited.

 **B15F**

Formora popped inside a nearby way to escape the attacks of a particularly ferocious Shiftree. Upon entering, she noticed to her surprise that on the other side lay a Sealed Chamber of all things!

She phased into the room, leaping across the small moat protecting the item. Said item turned out to be a bag of purple dust.

"What's this?" she asked, phasing back into the hallway, where her teammates were finishing up with their fight.

"Shady Dust, I'd say. It's for ghost-types," Kia supplied, peering at the bag's contents.

The ghost-type item…she could use it against Ezra. It was unlikely that her Froslass Bow's effects would be needed in the final fight. And if she recalled correctly, the Dust could be used to make the ultimate ghost item, the Something Globe. With it, she'd be protected from all ghost-type attacks.

She held onto the bag of Dust. It may come in handy soon.

 **B16F-B20F**

And so they continued forward, traveling deeper and deeper to the heart of the forest.

 **Dubious Ravine**

The forest's center opened up to a large clearing, providing a huge patch of sunshine amidst the dark cluster of trees circling the clearing. In the center lay a small pond whose bed could not be seen through the murky waters.

"Excuse me, but what are—oh! You three~!" a familiar sing-song voice came from the bushes nearby.

Chandelure and Gourgeist were just emerging, their arms filled with berries.

"Ah, it's been a while, hasn't it? Gour and I were about to have lunch, but I think a battle is in order first! We've improved so much—come see!" Chandelure laughed, glowing red and sending a sphere of red energy up into the sky.

* * *

 **Boss Battle ( watch?v=3K38Z8qAkqo)**

 **Weather Condition: Sunny**

At once, the sun shining into the clearing increased tenfold, almost blinding the three Renegades.

Formora squinted, staring at the aminated chandelier with a frown. Chandelure: the final evolution of Litwick, a species that did not deserve to grace this planet. He may not be Ezra, but he'd do juuuust fine.

She launched herself at him, taking him by surprise as she tackled him to the ground. While he was stunned, she slammed a Shadow Ball down upon his head.

"OW!" Chandelure howled, his flames surging high from the sun.

His fire licked at her arms, and she drew back hastily, tossing another Shadow Ball at him. She missed, but she was not intending to hit. As Chandelure dealt with the Ball coming at him, she summoned her own favored weather.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

"Oho, I see we're both trying to control the weather. Great minds think alike, eh?" Chandelure chuckled, a dark black aura rising from his body.

A similar aura appeared around Firnen, who was tangled up in Gourgeist's Leech Seed. He howled as more of his energy was sapped away to the two ghosts. Gritting his teeth, he broke out of the vines ensnaring him with Dragon Claw.

He dove for Gourgeist, his razor-sharp claws outstretched.

"Oh no no!" Chandelure cackled, diving in front of Gourgeist and throwing the flame on his right arm at Firnen.

The flame hit the dragon square in the chest, causing him to fall on the ground instead of his target. He stood, wincing at the movement. On his chest was a large burn that was already beginning to blister.

Chandelure's flame reignited with a quiet _whoosh_. He didn't have long to smirk at his handiwork, for he and Gourgeist were then smothered in blue Dragonbreath flames. As the ghosts stumbled out of the onslaught Kia zoomed right for them.

He picked up Gourgeist and threw her right at Chandelure. Both tumbled to the ground with a cry, but Gourgeist was immediately back on her feet, scowling up at the circling Kia.

As Kia dealt with Gourgeist and Firnen to his burn, Formora turned her attention back to Chandelure. To her utmost delight, he was struggling to move.

Paralyzed. How _fun_.

She strode towards the ghost, who was turning from a Chandelure into a helpless Litwick. Her muscles screaming for blood, she pulled out her knife, a mad grin stretched across her face.

Ezra looked up at her, blinking rapidly.

"Hey, whoa, I thought this was a friendly battle!" she said, eyeing Formora's toy.

Formora chuckled deep and low at the absurdity.

As she stood over her enemy, knife pointed straight at Ezra's heart, the Litwick's flame surged and spat a volley of fire at her.

Formora shrieked, shielding her face with her arms as she stumbled backwards. The searing flames ebbed, and when she opened her eyes Ezra was gone, replaced by Chandelure.

"Bad~!" Gourgeist's stormy voice came from nearby, and Formora felt something tap her head. Before she could blink, she was encased within a prison of vines.

The vines activated, glowing red with Formora's energy as it was transferred to Gourgeist. Formora only growled and hacked herself free with her knife, still firmly clutched in her hand.

Gourgeist didn't seem to mind at all, only giggling as she spat round after round of Bullet Seed at her.

Formora threw her Shadow Ball, vaporizing most of the Seeds. She threw another one after that, sending the pumpkin flying away.

 **Weather Condition: Normal**

She turned just in time to see Chandelure awkwardly throwing another Will-O-Wisp with obvious difficulty. The ball of flame just barely missed Kia's wing as he bathed Gourgeist in Dragonbreath.

Chandelure grimaced, and the black aura of Pain Split began to rise from him once more.

"No you don't," Formora growled, charging for him. She tackled him with all her might as the black aura rose around Kia. Chandelure sucked in a breath, his aura disappearing from the interruption.

She aimed her hand at his face point-blank. Three seconds later, his head was entirely encased in ice. He scrabbled helplessly at the ice block encasing his head, which was already beginning to melt rapidly thanks to his flames.

Unfortunately for Chandelure, Formora's Shadow Balls were more effective.

Formora left the unconscious chandelier, and tackled Gourgeist is a similar fashion as she'd done to him. Formora slammed Gourgeist against the ground, pelting her face with Ice Beams and Shadow Balls.

A Shadow Ball of Gourgeist's own knocked Formora off her. The pumpkin sprang to her feet, stumbling back from the crazed Froslass.

She backed straight into the arms of Firnen, who was more than happy to avenge his oozing chest. Grabbing her by the neck, he brought his Guillotine down upon her head.

* * *

With a guttural shout completely unlike her cutesy demeanor, Gourgeist went down. She tapped the ground as Formora prepared an Ice Beam over her head.

"Yield! I yield!" Gourgeist shrieked, covering her head and squeezing her eyes shut.

Formora scoffed and shot her attack on the ground directly next to the oversized pumpkin.

"Hah…Are we fated to never defeat you three, no matter how hard we try…?" Chandelure asked, picking himself up and shaking grass off his body.

"No one can defeat us, especially not me," Formora told him, crossing her arms.

"So it seems," Chandelure said, helping Gourgeist to her feet.

"So, are you two off to find a better dungeon again?" Firnen asked, picking off a stray leaf stuck to a claw.

"Mm…I suppose…But we really do like it here. The sky is dark, the atmosphere spooky~" Gourgeist said, gesturing around the area with a sad smile.

"Well, why don't you stay then? There's more to battling than just strength. You've got tactics and power, now just use the environment as well. You can set traps to scare your opponents right before you ambush them," Kia suggested.

Chandelure and Gourgeist looked at each other thoughtfully.

"That is not a bad idea. We're not quite done traveling, but I think we'll find our way back here eventually. Do come visit. You're welcome to fight us anytime. Good luck with your endeavors," Chandelure agreed, waving a spiraled arm at them as he and Gourgeist left.

"Hmph, if they're returning then this is a bad place for the Air Blade," Formora scowled once they were alone.

"Not necessarily. The pond is deep and dark enough to hide the Blade in it," Kia countered, flying over and tossing the Blade inside the pool.

Formora peered into the water and watched as the sword sank down into the murky depths. The water settled, and few would ever see it, let alone know what it was.

Speaking of things sinking…

"Very well. Let's go back home."

* * *

Formora was on the beach long before sunset came. Arriving alongside the moon was a crowd hungry for the blood of traitors. Just about every resident was present for the execution, and who could blame them? Someone they had trusted was working for the enemy, and they wanted revenge.

The soon-to-be-deceased was just emerging from the secret entrance, under heavy guard. He appeared to be carrying something large, though Formora could not discern what it was.

Another Pokemon was arriving too, and his appearance sent shocked whispers through the crowd.

"What the hell? _He's_ here?!"

"Am I dreaming?"

"No way is he actually on time to this thing."

"Who's that Pokemon behind him? Never seen him before."

"Dammit, I had bets too…"

Jace, the Alakazam who would be late to even his own funeral, was present. Behind him stood the mercenary Formora had hired. From the look on Jace's face, he was well aware of the consequence of continuing his habit.

Formora sauntered through the crowd, collecting what money the Pokemon who had participated in the bet had on them. Everyone had to give her an IOU for the rest of what they owed. Even still, she had some small sum on her now.

Drapion and his escorts had reached the edges of the crowd by now. His arms and legs were chained to a thick log that, from the way he struggled to walk and carry it, was incredibly heavy.

Formora stepped in front of him, addressing the crowd.

"Before you stands a man who tried to hurt us! He worked in the kitchens, a safe, niche job, learning what he could. He attempted to poison our very leader right under our very noses! But he was an idiot and failed in his quest, for no one can stop our Lord! Now he stands on trial for his crimes against the Darkness. What say you all?" she bellowed.

" _GUILTY!_ " the crowd roared back.

"The punishment for treason is death. He is to walk into the ocean while carrying the weight of his sins. Let them drag him down to the bottom! Let him rot for all eternity!" she shouted.

The crowd cheered, clapping and stomping, as Drapion was forced into the water. His face was set forward in grim acceptance. He spoke not a word to the crowd, and once his feet hit the shallows he needed no further prompting from the guards to continue forward.

He marched further into the ocean, water-types following him to ensure completion of execution. Eventually, his head sank below the surface, and stayed underneath.

The water-types resurfaced soon after, giving the all-clear as bubbles floated to the surface, carrying with them the final few moments of the condemned man.

As the bubbles died down, so did the cheering. Amidst the calming of the crowd came a distinct _crunch_ from a certain Pokemon _._ Formora marched on up to the offender, who was trying to sneak tiny wafers.

"Flora!" she exclaimed, hands on her hips disapprovingly. "What are you doing?!"

The Floette—whose ribs were beginning to show, Formora noted—jumped, as guilty as the newly deceased Drapion.

"S-sorry!" she stammered, hiding her handful of crackers behind her back. She was so thin, she couldn't have hidden even a twig. "I was just _so_ hungry…and they're only ten calories per seven wafers, so I thought it'd be okay, just this once…"

"Ten calories, eh?" Formora mused, pacing in thought. She stopped, then clapped Flora on the back with a grand smile.

"You know, it IS okay. You've been doing so well, you deserve a cheat day, especially in celebration of a traitor's death. So go ahead, finish your serving. Just spend the day at the gym tomorrow to make up for _allll_ that fat and sodium, alright?" she beamed.

Flora smiled, ever so faintly. "Thanks. I will."

With that, Formora began to say her goodbyes, stating that she needed to deposit her new fortune before she ended up like Drapion once high tide came in.

* * *

After depositing the money, Cradily hailed her as a few others were starting to return to the base.

"Formora, I won't keep you long. Just wanted to say Gothorita _loved_ the idea. She said she'd like to discuss specifics with you tomorrow evening. Will that be alright?" he reported.

"Sure, whatever," she shrugged, waving a hand. "Tell her to meet me in my room at eight."

Cradily waddled off to deliver the message, and she snuck up to Troja's room. A quick peek inside confirmed its emptiness, and she set to work hiding more clocks in odd places. She did leave his actual alarm clock alone, however. It would be sabotaged soon, anyway.

Her work done, she headed back up to her room. She treated herself to a lavender-scented dip in the tub, and why not? She deserved it.

She hadn't felt this good in a long, long time.

* * *

 **Dear Arceus why did I put in so many dungeon foes? What had I been thinking?**

 **The next post shall contain: A most welcome surprise**


	48. Chapter 48

Sometime in the middle of the night, Formora rose from her bed and crept silently past her nighttime bodyguard, who was unaware that the very Pokemon she was supposed to protect was leaving the safety of the room.

She floated down the spiral staircase, and into Troja's room. The Porygon-Z was sound asleep, snoring softly as his legs twitched every now and then—caught in some dream, no doubt.

Ever so quietly, she carefully put alarm clocks set for various times in the future in a variety of odd places in his room. Upon grabbing the last one, she got a mischievous idea. Setting the clock for five minutes from now, she _caAaArefullyYy_ nudged it underneath his pillow. Troja murmured for a second, but was otherwise unaware of the intrusion.

"Sweet dreams," she breathed in his ear before she departed back to her room.

She was awoken a few hours later by a knock at her door.

"What?" she snapped, stifling a yawn.

"Lady Formora, you have a message," came Teysa's voice from the other side.

"Tell whoever it is to come back later unless they want to lose their tongue," Formora said, flopping over and burying her head underneath her pillow.

"It's from Lord Giratina, Milady," Teysa replied readily, not a bit put off.

Formora bit her sheets, suppressing the urge to scream. What was _so_ important this time? Another reverse fetch quest?

* * *

It was. One hour later, and she was on Sumatra's back going to some dinky dungeon far off the east coast that was only open during a total lunar eclipse. According to His Assholiness, only she could hide away Xerneas' special item, the Life Brooch. She looked at the dull bangle in her hand.

The Life Brooch was a multifaceted jewel set in an ornate brooch, with colorful branches attached to the gem in an X pattern. Apparently its effect was to cast a healing aura in an area around Xerneas every few minutes. The item also had another gimmick: like its owner, it too caused flowers to spontaneously burst into existence.

Why was _she_ the only one who could carry out this ginormous waste of time? Weren't Teams Terra, Miasma, or even Jacks capable of going off to some dungeon just to hide some stupid fancy necklace?

They were, but a small nagging voice told her that she was the only one capable of not screwing up this mission, as easy as it was. Chandra was too cocky, always getting her team into unnecessary fights; Binacle and Cradily, as slow as they were, took forever and a half to do something that would take Sonya five minutes; and strong as Team Terra were, they had a dangerous preference for attacks that struck _everyone_ , enemies and allies alike.

No, as much as she loathed this mission, she had to admit she was the superior option.

"Why is everyone else so incompetent?" she sighed, laying on her back and staring at the reddening moon.

"What's that?" Kia said from on the other side of Sumatra'a back.

"I wasn't talking to you," she snapped.

"Sorry," he squeaked.

* * *

 **Ruby Moon Sea ( watch?v=LZEVA_aXDFQ)**

They arrived a few minutes before the eclipse was scheduled to begin. It would only be open for a few minutes, but even after the eclipse ended it would let them back out, so there was no need to hurry once inside. The ruby color of the moon was reflected against the water, giving it the impression of a sea of blood, which Formora rather appreciated.

 _If only it were Ezra's,_ she thought, trailing her fingers along the water's surface.

"30 seconds until 7:38. Get ready," Sumatra warned.

When the time came, a small tremble caused the waves to swell violently for a few moments. Formora clung tightly onto Sumatra's back, staring warily at the water below. In front of them, the waves parted to reveal a maroon chasm, right where the moonlight was shining brightest.

With no preamble, Formora leaped straight into the void.

 **B1F-B5F**

Unlike most ocean dungeons, it was warm here. The shallow red water running across the floor was lukewarm, caressing the Team's ankles with a kiss. The walls were sleek and silver, like the moon itself had been dipped in water. Shallow craters pockmarked the stone, and on the floor little corals hugged the wall. On the seafloor were little iridescent seashells, twinkling as the light hit them. Strands of kelp also grew from underneath the seabed.

It was a calm place, full of silence. Not an eerie or tense one, but a silence as if the dungeon was trying not to wake those who slept. Team Renegade found themselves tiptoeing through the halls, bewitched by the spell the dungeon had. Even Formora found herself unimmune, catching herself treading quietly and speaking softly.

She shook her head to try and snap some sense into herself.

"The sooner I leave, the better," she said loudly, earning startled looks from her teammates.

 **B6F**

Shortly after arriving, a rumbling sound came from above. The ceiling shook, creating a brief surge in the tide before both settled down.

"Earthquake?" Kia suggested in a quiet tone.

"No. The eclipse must be over, meaning the dungeon's closed again." Firnen shook his head, equally hushed.

 **B7F-B9F**

They pressed on, free from fear of being followed. Of course, they had no reason to even consider this fear, because any intruder would first have to pass the formidable Sumatra. Even if someone managed to, they'd inevitably be kicked out by Team R.

Instead, the trio focused on the enemies already present. Deep sea Pokemon such as Chinchou, Carvanha, Gorebyss, Finneon, Tentacruel, and Frillish lived here in this exotic sea, but as the dungeon rarely saw visitors, its inhabitants weren't suited for fighting elite Pokemon such as Team Renegade.

What was interesting to note was that the enemy Pokemon all fought…quietly. They let out muffled grunts of pain, used moves that weren't too noisy, tried not to draw attention to themselves…they too were under the dungeon's influence. Of course, it was difficult to not copy them; Formora had to yell at Kia and Firnen to put more effort into their attacks.

She fought the urge to slap them, instead grabbing seashells and smashing them into pieces against the wall. It was just a dungeon; it had no sentience! It can't care about noise!

Still, she had the faintest sensation _something_ was disapproving of her actions…

 **B10F**

As they often did, they stumbled upon a Secret Bazaar. Inside, however, was something entirely new.

Kirlia and the other employees were decked out in fancy dresses and tunics, colored red for obvious reasons. Makeup and jewelry adorned their faces, and red lanterns hung from the ceiling.

"Welcome to the Lunar Eclipse Secret Bazaar!" Kirlia welcomed, pressing 400 Poké into each of their hands. "The Ruby Moon Bazaar holds a special event where all of our services are free, with added bonuses! The Poké I gave you is to use here or keep; Swalot's Grab Bags hold rare goodies—with the grand prize being fifteen Gold Ribbons! Shendinja will—hey, where are you going?"

 **B11F-B14F**

On they went without any more distractions. Well, _most_ distractions. The Life Brooch was causing small anemones to pop up from the ground, their vibrant colors a stark contrast against the pale walls and ruby red tide. On B14F, however, the terrain changed. It was much warmer, and the water was now a lovely shade of burgundy, the silver walls now almost completely covered in corals. The light was dimmer, putting an end to the shimmering shells which had been starting to give her a headache. More rocks were cropping up, along with a new abundance of sea lettuce and algae. The latter draped down across the walls, almost like a curtain.

The silence was replaced by a gentle hum coming from deep, deep within the dungeon. Kia yawned, and Formora realized how intruders were deterred. She slapped him, threatening to leave him and Firnen here until the next eclipse if they dared fall asleep.

To quell her, they both downed Chesto Berries. Pleased by their immediate obedience, she dropped the matter and continued on.

Along with the terrain, new enemies had appeared as well. Lanturns, Sharpedos, and Huntails now graced the slumbering halls of the Sea.

 **B15F**

Someone else was here. That _presence_ was back. Formora felt goosebumps crawl down the back of her neck.

"Who in the world…?" Kia muttered, fanning his wings.

"We were the only ones there when the dungeon opened," Firnen agreed, crossing his arms.

"It has to be Mimikyu," Formora spat, unsheathing her knife. "Following me again."

"But how could he be here?" Kia asked.

"He must have slipped past Sumatra somehow. It's Mimikyu; he'd have found a way. LISTEN UP MIMIKYU, I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" she yelled suddenly, making her teammates jump. "WHEN I FIND YOU, YOU ARE _DEAD_ , YOU HEAR ME?! DEAD!"

The presence promptly vanished. Mimikyu must have moved on to the next floor.

"Hah…cowardly little ragdoll," Formora panted, flashing a wolfish grin.

 **B16F-B19F**

They went through the next few floors swiftly, ever alert for signs of Mimikyu. But the presence they'd felt never returned. No other sentient being was here, at least on these floors. Formora hoped she'd driven him off, but knew it was unlikely.

Just where _was_ he?

 **B20F**

She found a door to a Secret Chamber while turning a corner of an abysmally-long hallway. She popped inside for a look at the sort of item that would be housed in a rare dungeon such as this one.

Tons of goodies, it turned out. Seated on a navy blue pillow was a blue snowglobe-looking thing. Moving the item caused the liquid inside the orb to crash against the walls, like a wave during a storm. The orb was sealed to the deep navy blue base by a ring of little seagreen gems encased in gray rock, surrounded by pink seashell adornments on the base.

It was an Aqua Globe, she realized as the snowglobe came to life and began orbiting around her like a miniature satellite. And sitting next to its pillow were a Water Stone and a sapphire as big and her head. Great treasures indeed.

She shattered all three of them. (Well, scratched and blunted the hell out of the sapphire, anyway) They were of no use to her.

 **Ruby Moon Cove**

At long last, they'd arrived at the end of the dungeon. It looked much the same as the latter half, though thankfully there was less algae, and what plants did grow kept themselves to the edges of the floor. The humming was a lot stronger, though the light was significantly brighter.

What was odd, though, was it seemed that someone lived here. Piles of apples, Gummis, seeds, and berries were stacked against the walls in no particular order. It was enough to last someone for months, though as far as Formora knew no one was supposed to be here, and they were the only Pokemon present in the room. Perhaps this was another reward for explorers?

"Check this out," Firnen said from behind.

She and Kia turned, and found him standing next to a stone figure that had been carved out of the walls.

"What is _that_?" Kia asked as they came for a closer look.

The pear-shaped carving didn't appear to be of anything specifically, though a smiling face made of kelp decorated the top. A rock had been crudely tied to the top of the "head" with a string of algae; its twin had fallen to the ground, aside other chips of rock. There was a noticeable depression from where the thing had once been part of the wall.

"Is it supposed to be a—"

Formora was interrupted by a sound coming from the exit. All three of them whipped around to find the one Pokemon everyone in the Dark had been searching for for years without success.

The Pokemon was mechanical in nature, with a silver body and piercing red eyes. She had a gear going around her head, with big leporine ears, and a circular, ballgown-esque torso with gold trimming. In her chest lay a pale gray heart. She held a pile of food and seeds in her arms, which she promptly dropped with a gasp at seeing the intruders.

Formora's heart leapt into her chest as she slowly walked over to Magearna, jaw dropped with awe. The legendary shrank back from her touch.

"Is it really you?" Formora whispered, managing to brush her fingers against Magearna's arm. It was hard as stone, and cold.

Magearna flinched, stepping far away from her.

"Wh…Who….Are you?" she asked in a raspy whisper. It wasn't so much her words, rather her lip movements that Formora understood. Her voice was hoarse with disuse, and had a screechy overtone, as if her voice was produced from rusted clockwork instead of vocal chords.

Formora's face burst into a wide grin as she strode forward and embraced Magearna in a tight hug. Magearna froze for several moments, but awkwardly returned the gesture.

"Everyone missed you," Formora laughed softly, tears streaming down her face, as she thrust her knife handle into Magearna's back.

* * *

 **Boss Battle—! ( watch?v=41rsKG2ZqaQ)**

The knife, surprisingly, didn't pierce Magearna's skin, rather sliding down Magearna's back with a cacophonic screech.

Magearna gasped, shoving Formora away, only to receive a Shadow Ball to her face. As she stumbled backwards, clutching her face, Formora nailed her with another aimed at her feet. Magearna fell to the ground, quickly scrambling away from the laughing Formora.

"Who are you?! Why are you here?!" she demanded. It wasn't exactly what she'd said, as only croaks and primitive sounds came from her underused throat instead. But Formora knew exactly what she meant to say.

"I'm Formora," she breathed, transferring her knife from hand to hand. Her skin may be impermeable to being stabbed, but there had to be a weak spot…

Magearna's eyes widened in horror to Formora's utter delight, and threw her hand over her heart.

"Oh, you know me! Has Cresselia been updating you? It doesn't seem to be enough, though, if your little friend is anything to go by. I bet you regret agreeing to guard the map. Just give it up, then, and you'll be free!" Formora giggled, tossing another Shadow Ball at the distraught robot.

Magearna threw herself away from the attack, the resulting impact sending a spray of water everywhere. She got to her feet, stumbled, and righted herself before croaking out something. A weak, translucent white aura emanated from Magearna and settled all across the room.

"Ooh, Lucky Chant! I'm surprised it worked!" Formora giggled, not moving in the slightest as Magearna formed a pale gray sphere in between her hands. She waited patiently as Magearna raised her hands above her head and launched a wide Flash Cannon ringed with silver energy. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and awaited the blast.

It came, enveloping her entirely in gray light. After a moment the beam dissipated, leaving Formora still standing, giggling.

"Oh, Magearna. Your hiding spot is full of practice dummies, huh. You're pretty strong, I'll grant you that. But is that _all_ you can manage?" Formora snickered, flinging yet another Shadow Ball.

Instead of dodging, Magearna merely shielded herself with the familiar green dome that was Protect. When it began to fade away, Kia and Firnen remembered they were supposed to be fighting and dove in. As Magearna began to charge another Flash Cannon, Kia bathed her in the golden light of Earth Power, canceling her attack as she couldn't use her hands to both charge and keep her balance at the same time. As she stumbled backwards, Firnen dove, raking her body with Dragon Claw. It didn't seem to have much effect, as his claws scraped harmlessly off her body, much like Formora's knife had.

"NO!" Magearna half-rasped, half-shouted, thrusting her palm out and blasting the two dragons with a bright pink beam from her hand.

Both of them crashed against the wall, Firnen even taking the head off of Magearna's dummy with him. For a moment Formora thought they'd been defeated in one fell swoop and was about to march over and drown them back awake, but luckily for them they stirred.

"How could that have hurt?!" she shouted. "Flash Cannon did nothing to _me_! Ugh, all of you are so weak and useless!"

"To be fair, Lady Formora, you _are_ much stronger than us…" Kia had the audacity to say from where he lay on the floor.

The only thing that saved him from being Formora's first murder was Magearna launching another Fleur Cannon. Without turning her head away from her teammates, she sent an Ice Beam backwards.

To no one but Magearna's surprise, the two attacks canceled each other out, creating a huge explosion and covering most if the room with a smokescreen.

"You know, I'm starting to get bored. You don't want me bored, Magearna," Formora warned as she rose in the air to summon her favorite weather.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

From above the smoke cloud, she spotted Magearna running for the exit. An amused smile curved across her lip.

"Much better," she said, aiming an Ice Beam for the terrified robot's feet. Her attack landed, causing Magearna to trip and fall on her face.

"If you both value your lives, guard the exit. For once in your lives, BE USEFUL!" she roared to her teammates as she floated over and dragged Magearna back to the center of the room.

Magearna flipped in her grasp, turning over onto her back and shooting a quick Flash Cannon at Formora point-blank. She took it full-on, not even bothering with her Ability. What would even be the use of avoiding an attack she could just brush off with a bored yawn?

With no expression on her face, Formora threw volley after volley of Shadow Ball at the prone legendary at her feet. The first few hit their mark, but the rest were soon blocked by Protect. The moment the dome faded, Magearna sprang up, holding her hand in front of Formora's face and blasting her with Fleur Cannon.

To Magearna's credit, Formora actually took a step backwards, though it was mostly out of surprise. Magearna followed up with another, but this time Formora was ready and took it without a word.

Magearna faltered upon hearing Formora laugh mockingly once the attack ended. She whipped her head desperately around the room before settling on one of her seed piles. Formora stood still, allowing her to pick out a seed and throw it. She even opened her mouth to catch it, swallowing it the moment it hit her tongue.

Immediately, her entire body seized with paralysis. She couldn't move, couldn't attack.

"Oh, a Stun Seed huh? How cute! Go on, then," she laughed. "I ordered you to stay there!" she added, hearing her teammates begin to come to her aid.

Magearna needed no prompting and threw Cannon after Cannon—both Fleur and Flash—at the helpless Formora. She closed her eyes, grinning as each blow bathed her in fresh waves of pain. One attack, five attacks—all were happily absorbed. She laughed despite the burning sensations all across her skin. Finally! Finally, some fun!

Eventually, the blows stopped coming, and Formora regained control of her body. She dropped to the ground, panting and grinning. Magearna mirrored her, though her own gasps were much more ragged.

The sight of the legendary made her chuckle, a low and deep rumble as she got painstakingly to her feet. Magearna looked up, a horrified expression on her smooth round face.

"Good effort," Formora coughed. She was bleeding on her arm. The sight only served to widen her crazed grin until her cheeks were aching. " _My turn."_

Formora leaped, slamming Magearna against the wall, her knife pressed firmly against the soft joint of her neck. Magearna paled, arms feeling around for another seed. Formora laughed.

"Go on, give me a reason," she breathed, shoving the tip into the soft skin. A bead of blood appeared on the blade.

Magearna froze, her head pressed as firmly against the wall as it could be in a sorry attempt to get away from the knife.

With her free hand, Formora summoned a Shadow Ball, charging it with most of her strength. Magearna tried to move, but Formora only pressed her knife deeper into her skin.

She stood back and threw it, immediately preparing another one.

The mega-charged Shadow Ball crashed into Magearna, crushing her with the weight of the Dark Chosen's power. With an odd, almost mechanical shriek, Magearna's eyes grew dull. Her arms and legs stiffened, and she collapsed onto the ground, perfectly inert. While her eyes were still open, there was no spark of life in them. It was as if they'd been simply painted onto her robotic body.

* * *

Formora threw back her head and laughed wildly. She laughed, and laughed, and laughed before throwing the Shadow Ball she still held at Magearna's unmoving body. The mechanical Pokemon didn't so much as twitch upon the impact.

"Oh, oh, I love this. I LOVE IT!" she shouted, throwing her hands up into the air in glee.

She marched forward, grabbing Magearna by the neck in one hand as she tossed the Life Brooch onto the floor with the other.

"Let's go, little one. You will make so many people happy," she purred, caressing Magearna's cheek.

* * *

Oksana's jaw dropped upon seeing the unconscious legendary strapped to her "work" table. She tried to speak, but could only make feeble noises, much like the ones Magearna could only produce.

"Isn't it grand, Oksana Ivanova? Have you ever had such a wonderful Pokemon to grace your dungeon?!" Formora beamed.

"Where…how—"

"It turns out she was hiding in Ruby Moon Sea all this time! She was venturing into the actual dungeon for food and supplies. She-*giggle*-even had a friend made of stone, can you believe it? Ohoho! But now, but now we can finally solve the mystery of where Giratina's Nether Veil lies!" Formora sang, dancing around the room.

"But eef she was een Ruby Moon, then we won't be able to get to the map until the next total lunar ecleepse," Oksana protested, finally finding her voice.

Formora stopped her twirling and wagged a finger at the dumbstruck Eelektross.

"Nope! When she learned of who I was, she put her hand over her heart. It wasn't an 'oh my gosh'-type of gesture, oh no! It was more of a 'gotta keep this treasure safe'-kind of gesture. I'm the Champion, I know these kinds of things, oh yes I do! Yes I do! And you kept calling me a failure! We-he-hell, _who's the failure now?!_ " she laughed, pumping her fist in the air.

"Um, what?"

"Oh yes! He thinks I'm useless, Oksana. He always has. But I've showed him! I've showed him that he's always been wrong about me! And I'll keep on showing him until he's on his knees begging for my forgiveness!"

"That's, um, great. Um, eef eet's alright, Lady Dark, I'll uh, get started on extracting the map…"

"Yes, go do that! I actually have an appointment to get to."

* * *

She had lost most of her high by the time she sat down with Gothorita in the cafeteria, but enough of her joy still remained to offset how awful she usually felt these days, though yesterday and today had been some of the best days she's had in quite a while. She had a feeling she'd be seeing more of these joyous feelings. She couldn't quite remember the last time she'd felt this good.

 _As if you deserve happiness_ , her father snorted.

"Oh, shut up. You're just mad you have nothing to sneer at me with today," she snapped, already feeling some of the anger return. Why did he have to ruin _everything?_

"What?" Gothorita said, approaching the table Formora sat at.

"It has nothing to do with you. Cradily said you were interested in my event?" Formora said irritably.

Gothorita, the fool, was not put off by her ire. "Yes! I think an appreciation night is a fantastic idea! I know some of our more average members must feel pretty down when you and the other elite teams go on these important missions. I must admit, even I'm kind of jealous sometimes! But I hope this event will make them feel more comfortable. I've come up with some ideas on exactly how to run it, but first let me know what you were envisioning."

Formora leaned back in her seat. "I was thinking we do an award system. Most artistic, life of the party, best dressed, that sort of thing. Us elites are barred from all entry. We give awards for the winner, but also personalized gifts for the nominees, so that they don't think they're getting pity prizes. Things that'll make them think, 'Wow, people really care about me, if they remember I like this!'"

"Oh, that's brilliant! We could set up voting boxes right outside the cafeteria! If you don't mind, I had an idea that I'd really like to incorporate. As well as awards, why not bring light to achievements people have made, or good deeds they've done? Like, defeating a tough boss or picking up litter around the mountain," Gothorita beamed, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, I like that. And we'll give a small gift to them as well, to inspire others to do great things," Formora nodded. Cate would hate the attention, but it would all be worth it at the end.

"Oh, I'm so glad you agree! Now, let's talk specifics…"

The two spent the next couple of hours going over exactly how the show would go, the order of the events, and most importantly, the nominees. Formora agreed to all of Gothorita's suggestions, but made sure two certain Pokemon were included.

"You have to admit, she could certainly use a pick-me-up, what with her teammates and all."

"Yes, definitely…

"And he is an obvious choice for this award."

"Well…Yeah, that's true."

* * *

After sorting out _every single little detail_ (Seriously, did it matter if hors d'oeuvres—what even _were_ those?—or appetizers were served? Or what color the decorations should be? She was half-tempted to call off the entire event after stabbing herself in the eyes with a fork), finally Gothorita came to a close.

"Thank you so much for your time, Lady Formora. I'll get started setting up right away! Oh, where did I put those chairs?"

Gothorita got up and opened the hidden door beneath the stage—and immediately let out a shriek. She stumbled back, and in her haste tripped over her own feet and landed square on her butt.

"What are you _doing_ in there?!" she demanded, getting to her feet.

Formora peered inside the dark hole, and snorted in amusement. Huddled within the darkness was Duosion, trembling wildly.

"Cradily's out there," the pitiful Pokemon whimpered.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Gothorita stormed, crossing her arms.

"Have you _seen_ what he's dressed as?! Nuh-uh, no way I'm coming out, I'm staying right here. Forward my mail to this room, I'm living here from now on," Duosion said, shrinking back further into the darkness.

Gothorita threw her hands up in an annoyed manner but shut the door and left him alone.

"I'll get to that later. He'll come out eventually," she sighed, sitting back down.

"No I won't!" came Duosion's muffled voice.

"Hush, you! Anyway, I'm sure you have more important things to do, My Lady. Thanks for meeting me, and again, your idea is really great! I'll have it set up by tomorrow night," Gothorita said.

Formora shook her hand. "Of course it is. And I'll even help with Duosion. Give me a sec."

Formora left the cafeteria, wandering around the base until she found who she was looking for.

"I know where Duosion is~" she winked, watching Cradily peer into rooms, a confused expression of his face.

He brightened. "Oh, you do? Where? I've looked everywhere, but damn if he isn't good at hiding from me…"

"Try underneath the stage in the cafeteria," she responded brightly.

"Is that where he is? Oho."

As Cradily marched towards the cafeteria, Formora leaned against the wall, inspecting her nails. As she figured, a few moments later came an ear-splitting scream from that direction. Duosion flew past her soon after, so quickly she almost didn't recognize the green blur.

"FOUND YOUUUUU!" came Cradily's shout.

Formora giggled, and spent the rest of her evening finding the Pokemon who still owed her money from yesterday.

Once her bank account was significantly richer (and a few Pokemon equally terrified), she went up to her room, grabbed the bag of clocks she kept in her closet, and headed for Troja's room.

* * *

 **I'm finally free for the summer! Yay!**

 **I've decided to go for a 'write a little bit every day' approach, so presumably I'll be more active. One can hope.**

 **The next installment shall include: out with the old, in with the new, a rock through a window, and a splash of red.**


	49. Chapter 13 The Best Day Ever

**WARNING: MEGA POST AHEAD**

* * *

 **12\. The Best Day Ever**

It was almost noon by the time Formora rolled out of bed. She'd been awake for hours, having woken at dawn. The joy of yesterday had inexplicably left, leaving her numb and apathetic. She'd rolled onto her stomach, staring at the embroidered flowers on her sheets. Grabbing her knife, she had carved each and every flower out of the fine white silk, until her sheets had more holes than Swiss cheese.

She stood, turning her gaze at the pile of flowers on her floor. She figured she ought to remove them, but instead opened her door and flopped down onto her couch.

"Good afternoon, Lady Formora. Can I get you anything?" Teysa chirped, approaching her.

"No. …Wait, actually, yes. I want…" she racked her tired brain for something to keep her servant out of her room for a while. "A dragonfruit sundae. With chopped Liechi Berries on top arranged in a perfect pyramid."

Teysa blinked. "Um, I'm not entirely sure that exists…"

"It had better, or else you and whatever your twin's name is can find new jobs," Formora ordered, giving Teysa an unsympathetic glare.

Teysa stepped back, eyes wide. "O-of course, I'll get on it right away."

She departed, with Formora smiling at her back. She hadn't known her servants were prone to such manipulation. What else could she get them to do? A flicker of happiness blossomed in the pit of her stomach.

"Maybe I'll get them to turn on each other. No, have one kill the other," she said out loud, smiling at the gruesome daydream.

She was happily imaging how she would instigate the bloodbath between the two Cinccinos when a voice came from her vanity.

" **Hello Formora. How are you doing?"** Giratina inquired, his grotesque visage threatening to shatter her mirror.

The happiness was replaced with annoyance. It was better than numbness, so she allowed it. She shrugged. "Fine, I guess. Why?"

" **I've heard you seemed rather unhappy these days, and I am anxious to hear the reason why. What is on your mind, my wonderful Champion?"**

So it was one of _those_ visits. Why hadn't she trashed the stupid mirror already?

"Well, you know, it's summer, which isn't exactly the best of seasons for me," she lied, giving herself an airy tone as she waved her hand dismissively. "It's just been so _hot_ lately, I feel as if I'll melt! I'm afraid I'm starting to become rather tired of this heat."

" **Yes, I'm not too big a fan of the heat and humidity myself. Why not visit Intel? For one, they have AC, and plenty of things worthy of your attention."**

"Eh, maybe. I've found that terrorizing people entertains me the most," she shrugged.

" **With Oksana?"**

"Without. In the dungeon, out of the dungeon, it doesn't matter."

Giratina seemed taken aback. " **You've been terrorizing…your fellow coworkers? Are you behind the mercenary that's been stalking Jace, and the Duosion/Cradily situation?"**

Could he blame her?

"Jace kept being late so I _encouraged_ him to quit it. Duosion said he was afraid of clowns and I wanted to see if it was true. Am I on trial here?" Formora snapped, crossing her arms snugly across her chest.

" **Why are you doing all this to innocent Pokemon? Pokemon who've suffered as you have?"** Giratina demanded, aghast.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm the Champion, right? I can do what I want. And why are _you_ , of all Pokemon, getting all preachy on me?!"

" **That's enough, Formora. I urge you to rethink your actions towards your subordinates. I will not have this conversation with you again."**

With that, Giratina's face vanished. Formora huffed, stalking up to the vanity.

"That's right, you WON'T!" she snarled, ripping the mirror off its hinges and throwing it to the floor. It shattered instantly, thousands of little glass shards scattered across her floor.

She stood there, panting, her fingers curling and uncurling. She needed to hurt. She needed to terrify. She needed to do the very things Giratina told her not to do.

But what could he even do to stop her, she mused as she hurried down the staircase. He was rarely in the overworld, and what was he going to do, fire her? As if. It was like she said, she was the _Champion_ ; she didn't earn this position by being all Ezra-y. The old adage was true: nice guys really did finish last. And she was nothing if not in first place.

* * *

There weren't too many Pokemon in the cafeteria, most being out on missions, but she did spot Team Miasma hunched over something.

"What are you looking at?" Formora asked, sitting down next to them without waiting for permission.

The trio jumped at her sudden intrusion.

"Oh, just planning for our next op. What do you think about Sludgy?" Cradily said, making room for her.

"What?"

"Sludgy Cesspool? That awful place filled with trash?" Binacle piped up.

"What about it?"

"Eet's deefferent now. Eet changed sometime thees morning. No trash, no sludge, just preestine nature," Sonya explained.

Formora scrunched up her brow in confusion, then recognition. There was only one Pokemon she knew of that had the power to restore wastelands that quickly. Formora wondered if she was still there…

She got up and raced to find her teammates, leaving behind a thoroughly confused group of assassins.

* * *

As Team Renegade walked towards the front gate, they spotted Troja up ahead, downcast and holding a suitcase.

"How's life, Troja?" Formora called, racing to catch up with him.

He shook his head, trembling.

"Aww, what's wrong? Tell me!"

"You'll just call me crazy. You'd be right, though," Troja mumbled.

"Is everything alright?" Kia asked, hovering nearby.

"NO! There's clocks in my room!" Troja burst out, tears welling up in his eyes.

"O…kay?" Kia said slowly.

"No no, all this week I've been waking up at random times during the night, only to find alarm clocks _everywhere_! There was even one under my pillow—how'd that even happen?! And now they're in the walls! I don't know who's doing it, or why, but I've had enough! I…need a vacation. Somewhere quiet and remote, where modern inventions don't exist…" Troja explained in a rush, his tears streaming down his face like a miniature waterfall.

"Have fun!" Formora said cheerfully, slapping him on the back.

Troja only hiccupped, and continued his sad, slow walk out the doors. Formora watched him go, a smug smile on her face.

"Formora—" Kia began hesitantly.

"You wanted my help. So here we are. Shut up and move," she said in the same tone, still watching the Porygon-Z.

* * *

 **Blue Hills ( watch?v=j_nh_b6_5gQ)**

The trio had to double-check their map when they arrived at the spot Sludgy Cesspool was located. Or rather, _had_ been located. Their map confirmed they were indeed at the toxic wasteland, but what they saw didn't match their previous experience.

Where green ooze and trash had covered every inch of the place, all had been inexplicably removed. The terrain was revealed to be grassy, with a flat rock path leading into a sea of blue-green hills. The stench was replaced with the scent of fresh grass, blowing gently through the air by a soft breeze. Tiny little bluebells dotted the path, swaying ever so a single blade of grass was out of place; it was as if the Cesspool had never existed.

"This must be what the place used to look like," Formora observed, noting the utter _perfection_ that was this landscape.

"But how could all this—" Kia gestured around, "-have changed overnight?"

"I know exactly how. I hope she's still here," Formora answered cryptically.

She held up a hand as Firnen brought out the Bypass Stone. "Ah ah ah, what do you think you're doing? That thing won't work, idiot; we haven't explored _this_ dungeon."

Without waiting for his reply, she turned and strode right into the dungeon.

 **1F**

The interior was just as spotless as the opening. Short, dusky-green grass brushed their legs, interrupted only by small patches of dirt. More bluebells grew here, dotting the grass like little polka dots. Grass the same color as the outside hung atop light brown stone walls alongside leafy ferns. Tree roots spread across the floor, mostly hugging the walls. Crystal-clear streams ran parallel to the room, murmuring gently. A clean breeze wafted through the halls, bringing with it the promise of a new beginning.

Behind her, Formora heard soft sighs coming from her teammates. She, however, was not enthralled.

"Yep, this is her work," she said, mostly to herself, as she peered inside a stream from a wary distance. Clear all the way to the bottom.

"Who is this 'she' you keep referring to?" Kia asked, coming to hover nearby.

She stared at him in disgusted disbelief. "You seriously don't see it? You've _fought_ her!"

Kia's brow furrowed in thought, then recognition. "Ohhhhh…"

"Yes. 'Oh,'" Formora snorted, shoulder-checking him as she stalked further inside the dungeon.

 **2F-4F**

The trio explored the halls, two of whom kept marveling at the drastic changes as they fought a new array of foes. Noibats, Vileplumes, Stunkys, Victreebels, and Parasects replaced the sludge-loving Grimers and Koffings that had once plagued these halls. Formora soon grew annoyed at her teammates' wonder; what was there to be impressed by? It was just another demonstration of the perpetrator's 'awesome' power.

Cleaning dirt and muck…Truly, something to be inspired by.

 **5F**

Along the way, she'd found a Trawl Orb after defeating a Parasect. Normally she ditched most Orbs, but an idea came to her. Next time she came across a Kecleon Market, he would get a lovely surprise…

 **6F-10F**

On they went, marveling at the pristine beauty of the cleansed dungeon. Formora wasn't so much interested in the scenery; she was on the hunt for any Kecleon shops. None were to be found, alas.

 **11F**

On the 11th floor, however, she finally found what she was looking for.

"Good day, you three," the Kecleon said politely as Formora eagerly scanned his wares.

He didn't have much, just some seeds and what appeared to be a Hurl Orb, but still, this was a shop. They continued forward without buying anything, traversing the floor until they found the Stairs. Formora stopped Kia and Firnen from ascending.

"One sec," she giggled, smashing the Trawl Orb against the ground.

One second later and she was suddenly surrounded by various items, the shopkeeper's wares included. From deep within the floor she heard a faint yell.

"Trawl Orb! I've been robbed!"

Still giggling, she snatched up the stolen goods and scampered off to the next floor.

 **12F-16F**

She was going to keep Trawl Orbs from now on, she decided as they continued the exploration. That had been fun, but if only she could have mugged him physically. Of course, she knew better; she'd heard the stories of the foolhardy who thought they could simply beat up the shopkeepers and get away scot free. Every single one of them ended up swarmed by Kecleons coming from out of nowhere…

Perhaps she could keep a Pure Seed around.

 **17F**

In the middle of navigating this floor, a presence appeared. Formora's skin grew goosebumps on the back of her neck as she took out her knife, on the lookout for anyone who did not belong.

"Who's there?" she demanded, raising her voice so that it carried through the halls.

No answer.

Could it be the very Pokemon behind this place's transformation? If so, they needed to hurry.

 **Blue Hills Lake**

The number of floors hadn't changed at all. And why should it? The dungeon was still the same, albeit cleaner.

In front of them, surrounded by cattails and long grass, was a pure blue lake. The surface was a shimmery dappled white thanks to the bright sun overhead. Behind the lake was the beginnings of a forest, the dark green complimenting the blueish tone of the grass.

In front of the lake, however…

"I knew you were the cause of all this," Formora snorted, crossing her arms.

Zygarde turned slowly from where she sat at the lakebed, tilting her great head in curiosity.

"Oh? We did not expect to see Dark Pokemon here, least of all you three. What brings you here, to these newly cleansed hills?" she asked in her odd, echoing voice.

"The moment I heard about Sludgy Cesspool being different, I knew you were behind it. I haven't forgotten the Deadlands, and I'm here to bring you in," Formora snarled, twirling her knife in one hand and summoning a Shadow Ball in the other.

Zygarde tilted her head again, this time in confusion.

"Is restoring ruined land a crime?" she asked.

"No, but preventing Xerneas' capture is. And you're _quite_ guilty of that. I remember beating you with no problem, but I'm happy to do it again if you resist," Formora hissed, throwing the Ball.

Zygarde didn't move, taking the Ball to the chest. She sucked in a breath, but otherwise merely looked down upon the bruise rapidly forming.

"Hm. We suppose we resist," she responded mildly.

* * *

 **Boss Battle! ( watch?v=yx90TMgFv94)**

Angered that Zygarde wasn't afraid, Formora rapidly formed an Ice Beam, throwing her knife at Zygarde. This time, she deflected it with a great sweep of her tail, knocking the blade to the ground with a clatter. The legendary looked up just in time to see Formora bearing down upon her with the Beam.

"Agh!" Zygarde shrieked, recoiling from the icy chill of the attack.

She recovered quickly, emanating a green aura and forcing the ground between her and Formora to open up. Formora jumped backwards before the green light of Land's Wrath could hurt her. She rose high in the air to give herself a better edge.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

Zygarde winced as a hailstone hit her head. "You have grown a lot stronger since that hated land. Perhaps you think you need to be the strongest in order to take down us legendaries, or Ezra?"

Formora didn't bother responding, only threw an ice-cold Blizzard at the hulking giant. Kia and Firnen escorted the attack by diving for Zygarde, Dragon Claw and Feint Attack at the ready. Zygarde only had time to roar, summoning a pink Safeguard milliseconds before being struck by all three attacks at once.

She let out a great bellow, reeling backwards a few steps until her tail was partly submerged in the water.

"Ergh," she grunted, summoning up Land's Wrath. Both Formora and Firnen stepped back—but Zygarde was ready, and had the attack ready from behind as well.

Green light washed across Formora's vision, and white hot pain burned all over her body. She couldn't help but let out a wail as Zygarde's unleashed the planet's power.

Her vision was blurry, and she felt a dull thump against her head. A crack of pain right after made her see colorful spots dance across her eyes…

"Formora, here!" she heard someone say, and a moment later there was a soft thump as something landed next to her.

After a moment, the spots faded, and she could see again. She was lying on the ground, her knife in front of her, and Zygarde was slapping Kia out of the sky with her tail. Zygarde turned back to the rising Formora and began slithering closer, all the while Dancing in a Dragonish manner.

"We take a neutral side," Zygarde explained. "We only wish to undo the ruin to the environment caused by your war. We have no interest in petty squabbles."

The anger that coursed through Formor helped her stand easier.

"You're a coward," she said flatly, spitting blood and dirt out of her mouth.

Once Zygarde was close enough, Formora leaped, knife aimed right for her heart. She was halfway to her target before she was halted in her tracks by another Land's Wrath. Her vision turned white this time instead of green, and the next thing she knew she was on her back.

Zygarde landed on the hollow end of Formora's body, pinning the Froslass tightly to the ground.

Formora gasped in pain as Zygarde's weight settled upon her. Her lungs felt oddly trapped inside her ribcage, and she had half a mind to break her own sternum so her lungs could inflate, so she could _breathe_.

With her hand that held the knife, she sliced at Zygarde's body, trying in vain to give the woman a wound severe enough to warrant getting off of Formora. But in her weakened state, she could only manage a few shallow cuts.

"You did not let us finish," Zygarde continued, as if she wasn't slowly asphyxiating Formora. "We were neutral in the past. But since the Deadlands, we have thought hard. And now we have decided to join the side of Good, for they are not the ones who have sullied time and space to allow abominations such as the Cesspool and the Deadlands to occur. Back then we only wished to protect our brother. Now, we seek to protect the world."

"Good for you," Formora said, only it came out more like "Gah…fwah…" instead. What were her teammates doing?!

Zygarde began preparing a Draco Meteor. Formora's vision was quite blurry by now, but she still had enough presence of mind to notice the attack. Gathering all her strength, she plunged her knife deep into Zygarde's side in one last desperate attempt, twisting it as much as she could.

Zygarde's head shot up towards the sky, and she let out a great roar of agony, but not before shooting off the attack. Most of it was sent haywire by the sudden jerk of her head, but a few Meteors still struck Formora, hitting her head and arm with the force of a cannon ball. The Meteors sizzled as they dissipated, leaving small burns where they struck. Formora was beyond caring at this point, for her eyes were watering, she couldn't see a thing, and most of all, her lungs weren't working for some reason…

Suddenly, Zygarde's weight was lifted from her body. Formora gasped for breaths, lying there, unmoving, staring up at the sky as she filled her lungs with sweet air. Once she thought she could move, she slowly got to her feet, spotting a recoiling Zygarde just inches away.

"And another!" Kia stormed as he and Firnen swept in for a (second?) combo. Together, they bathed Zygarde in Dragon Breath and Dragon Pulse until she was surrounded by an intertwined dance of blue and purple flames.

"Bout freakin' time," Formora coughed, glaring at them for a moment before getting right back to business. Zygarde would pay for nearly killing her, ohhhhh _yes she would._

Point-blank, she blasted Zygarde with Blizzard. The dragon howled, thrashing this was and that, knocking Formora back to the ground.

"ENOUGH!" Zygarde raged, sweeping Formora into the lake with her tail as she struck Kia and Firnen with Draco Meteor.

Formora landed on her stomach, the dull pain echoed only by the sheer panic that flooded her senses. She held her breath and she frantically tried to grab something—anything!—to hold onto. But there was none. Her flailing arms caught only water, and her thrashing only made her tired.

 _Not like this!_ She begged, flapping her arms, trying to get back to the surface. _I didn't want it to be this way!_

A shape flew above the surface, and something grabbed her arm and yanked her up. The moment she was free from the dreadful water, she finally let out her breath. Between Zygarde and drowning, her lungs had gone through hell today.

"I got you," Kia said, looking down to make sure she was okay.

She nodded, and spotted Firnen keeping Zygarde's attention.

"Drop me," she choked out, pointing at Zygarde.

He obliged, tossing her onto Zygarde's giant head. Before the legendary could shake her off, Formora swiftly jammed two Ice Beams directly where her eyes would be.

* * *

Zygarde screamed, her great head tossing this way and that in the air. Her body convulsed—and exploded. Thousands of little green lights were flung from her body, far, _far_ across the land. What was left of her was something she'd never seen before.

There were two of them, and they were green and quite small. They had a round head with a single closed eye, and a smaller, squiggly body with no visible legs. The thing on the left had a red hexagon on its chest, whereas its twin had a blue one.

"What… _are_ those?" Kia asked, carefully poking the red hexagon one.

It stirred, moaning and opening its single eye. With a gasp, it got to its…foot…twisting around until it saw its twin.

"Blue! Get up!" it said in Zygarde's voice (only more…singular), nudging its partner.

'Blue' groaned, but opened her? eye.

"What the hell is this?! Who—and _what—_ are you?!" Formora demanded, grabbing the red one and holding her close to her face. Her body was soft and squishy, kind of like dough. Perhaps it was as malleable.

"Put me down, if you would!" Red squirmed in her grasp.

Formora only squeezed tighter, making the blob gasp.

"Look, we shall explain, okay? Just leave her alone!" Blue pleaded, bouncing over toward Formora.

Formora merely snatched up Blue, holding both blobs at the end of her reach.

"Ack! Okay, I see you are not up for negotiating…" Blue squeaked, shrinking back.

"Start talking or I make mincemeat out of both of you," Formora threatened, going over to a flat stump and slamming them down upon it. Firnen held them both down while Formora unsheathed her knife.

"We're Zygarde!" the blobs chorused, wriggling in vain underneath Firnen's grasp. He'd dug his claws deep inside the wood.

"No, I just fought Zygarde."

"No, no. That was Zygarde too. _We_ are the true Zygarde, I suppose you could say," Blue sighed, giving up trying to escape.

"Explain. Now," Formora said coldly, sticking her knife between them.

Red paled. "Um, see…we are Cores. We are the 'brains' of Zygarde. We control everything the body does."

"And what's the body composed of?" Kia asked. Formora shoved him away.

"Our Cells," Blue said.

"They are brainless, powerless. They do our bidding. The form you are used to is our 50% form, meaning 50% of out total cells are comprised alongside us," Red added.

Formora raised an eyebrow.

"Show me 100%," she demanded.

"What?" said everyone.

"I'm fighting you at full power. Go do it. You're already my enemy; either fight me or die," she said through clenched teeth, grabbing her knife.

Red and Blue looked at each other for a long moment before responding.

"We'd absolutely destroy you," they chorused with conviction.

A lazy grin spread across Formora's face. "All the better, then."

She motioned for Firnen to release them, tossing them both Oran Berries as she commanded her teammates to heal as well. Once everyone was fully healed, Red and Blue stood side by side.

The two Cores let out an odd, siren-esque sound. It reverberated far, _far_ beyond what was normally possible. It seemed to permeate every inch, every pore of Formora, until she felt even her bones shaking from the call.

A similar sound echoed in response, and hundreds—no, thousands—no, _billions_ of tiny green lights soared through the sky, aimed straight at the Cores. It was Zygarde's defeat again, only in reverse, with _many_ more Cells being summoned. Amidst the green were three pink streaks, much larger than the rest. They too zoomed for the Cores, and as they neared Formora could faintly make out the forms of three more Cores. Her pulse quickened—just how many Zygardes _were_ there?

Red and Blue turned an opaque, blinding white, their silhouettes starting to merge together. The cascade of Cells reached their target, diving _inside_ the bright mass. With each Cell that was absorbed, the mass grew, and grew, and grew even more until it was the size of a two-story house. The blob then began to take shape, growing two arms, two wings, and a tail each as long as its body, all anchored on its massive shoulders.

The glow dissipated, allowing Formora to glimpse Zygarde at its full potential. The gargantuan giant was primarily black, with green and white hexagons dotting its arms and legs. Its chest had a design similar to a smiling face, the smile gradienting from blue to red.

Zygarde turned to face Formora, and the line on its chest widened in a confident smile.

"Finally, a _challenge_!" Formora snarled joyfully, chucking a Shadow Ball at Zygarde.

* * *

 **Boss Battle, Part 2 ( watch?v=D5jpdiv1718)**

The Ball nailed Zygarde on its arm, but it appeared to do nothing, as the gargantuan legendary merely let out a chuckle that was more akin to a bellow in nature. It turned to face the trio, each step creating a localized tremor.

Zygarde grinned, showing off five colorful lights inside its body.

" **Ah…been a while since we have been in this Forme,"** It said with five voices speaking at once. It was impossible to tell its new gender, as male Cores had joined Red and Blue, judging by the new masculine tones in its voice.

" **We are here to destroy the one who would ruin this world. We have become complete. We are perfect. We are whole. We will DESTROY YOU!"** they decreed, leaping high into the air. Their chest opened up, forming an orb of pale blue energy. A second later, a massive, multicolored beam sliced across the ground in a Z-shape around Formora. The Z then glowed the familiar bright green before exploding.

She was expecting pain, but not the excruciating _agony_ that set her entire body on fire. Her vision went white, and for a moment she wasn't quite sure where she was. Ages later, her vision returned, and she hastily looked down upon her body, both surprised and confused to see it wasn't aflame.

She felt herself weaken and faltered momentarily before righting herself.

"Ergh…Damn, you weren't kidding," she muttered through clenched teeth.

To Zygarde, she said, "How are you able to use a fifth move?!"

Zygarde's chest grinned again. " **We have the option to switch moves whenever we transform. We are surprised you are still standing. Few can take our strongest attack."**

"Strongest, huh? Didn't seem so bad to me," Formora panted, standing straight.

" **We shall see. Oh, we should mention, you are now no longer able to utilize your Snow Cloak. We Cores' Enforcer strips away your Ability."**

Disbelief replaced her lingering pain. That was impossible!

…Right?

" **Go on, try,"** Zygarde mocked, gesturing for her to change the weather.

She did.

 **Weather Condition: Hail**

As Hail began pelting everyone but Formora, the latter tried to find the line between _here_ and _not here_ , the line that allowed her to evade almost everything.

She could not find it. Using her Snow Cloak was like slipping on a jacket, she just had to will it and it happened. But try as she did, she was unable to find her Cloak.

"RAH!" Formora bellowed, blasting Zygarde's legs with Blizzard in frustrated rage.

The towering legendary only laughed before knocking Team Renegade down with Draco Meteor.

Formora slid across the ground, creating a five foot-long rut. Kia landed nearby.

"Why did you let them do this?! This is more than we can handle!" he shouted at her. Firnen added his agreement from on the other side of the clearing.

"Just shut up and fight!" Formora shouted back, pointing at Zygarde.

The three got to their feet, racing for the hulking beast. Zygarde chuckled, waving a hand as cracks began to appear in the earth.

"Ha!" Firnen yelled, diving in front of Kia and Formora. The green dome of his Protect shuddered beneath the sheer power of the Land's Wrath, but held firm.

"Let's go!" Formora insisted, sprinting forward to nail one of Zygarde's wings with Ice Beam.

Zygarde grunted from the ultra-effective chill, and summoned their pink Safeguard before getting hit with Kia's Dragon Breath.

They turned towards the trio, idly knocking Firnen away with a sweep of their tail as he tried to come in close for Guillotine. Kia caught him as he arced through the air, but his weight was too much, and both came tumbling down to the ground.

" **See how strong we are? Give up already! Is that not what you have told us, and all your other victims?"** Zygarde said, their chest opening wide for a deep belly laugh.

There were five colored lights deep inside the cavity. Red, orange, white, cyan, and blue. Formora frowned. Now what were those lights?

"Hey, aim for those lights inside their chest," she said quietly to her team.

Kia and Firnen looked rather distraught at having to resume the fight against the still-laughing legend, but obeyed.

Setting up a safe distance away, they shot the intertwining flames of Dragon Breath and Dragon Pulse directly into Zygarde's chest cavity.

Immediately, Zygarde stopped laughing. They instead began a piercing screech, taking a few steps back and almost knocking Firnen and Formora off their feet from the tremors.

"AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Zygarde roared, putting their hands to their chest.

Formora grinned.

"I thought so! Those lights must be the Cores inside! They're the weak point!" she exclaimed as Zygarde's roars began to die down. It was the first time this Forme had shown true pain, and she intended to exploit that weakness to the _fullest_.

"Get them to open the chest more. Kia!" she continued as Zygarde shook their head and growled, stalking towards the trio.

Kia gulped, but took to the air, zooming around Zygarde's head and shouting insults. Zygarde hummed angrily, trying to swat him down. Formora watched carefully, noting how Zygarde, while strengthened in this Forme, was not fast at all. Each swipe of their hands kept falling short of hitting Kia, and it was only partially due to the Vibrava's aerial advantage.

"Five Cores powers this thing, huh?" she thought out loud as Kia kept distracting Zygarde. "Five brains, increased damage at the cost of speed…If a Core is knocked out, what would happen?"

 **Weather Condition: Clear**

She didn't bother to restart the hail. If she couldn't evade these devastating attacks as easily, what was the point? Besides, the hail wasn't even doing anything to Zygarde. They ignored each and every hailstone like they were just raindrops.

"Rah!" Zygarde lunged, finally colliding their tail with Kia.

Tailspinning, he was knocked right between where Formora and Firnen stood. He lay still for a few moments, but eventually stood.

" **Ah…annoying little gnat. Well? Come hit us again! Such fun for us!"** Zygarde taunted, swaying from side to side in a Dragon Dance.

"If you insist," Formora snarled, brandishing her knife as the trio began charging.

Zygarde grinned, and the ground opened up beneath the trio, swallowing them whole inside green, primordial energy.

Or so Zygarde thought. The trio wasn't about to repeat that song and dance again, and at the last second had abruptly ceased running. They felt the energy waves pulse through the air around the Wrath, but were unharmed.

"Launch me!" Formora hissed.

Kia obliged, picking her up and tossing her at the startled legend. She landed on their chest, and stuck her knife in the colorful slit. She was unable to get very far when a giant hand grabbed her. Zygarde's hand was big enough to hold her entire body with ease, and she was soon brought face-to-chest with the giant. The chest opened up for a Draco Meteor. She could see the five Cores, deep inside the body, just colored silhouettes against the white cavity. She squirmed, trying to free her arms.

" **Bad,"** Zygarde admonished, striking her point-blank.

She lost consciousness for a moment, and found herself lying discarded on the ground, vision blurred with tears and Zygarde roaring in pain. Dimly, as the colors became more focused, she spotted Kia flying near the injured, angry giant.

For a second, she was happy. Good for Kia, she thought in a daze. Following up with a devastating blow…The little dragon could be quick when he wanted to.

She was giddy, she realized, clarity shooting through her like a lightning bolt. She slapped herself and got to her feet, ready for more. She couldn't quite remember the last time she'd taken a beating this hard. It was nostalgic, a warm welcome from the shoddy fights she usually got from legendaries.

She summoned a Shadow Ball, but before she could throw it Firnen dove forward, his tusks ready to bring down a Guillotine. Zygarde, still screaming, summoned multiple Land's Wraths all around the battlefield, turning the serene landscape into nothing but a wall of green light. Formora simply floated up to the sky as if she was about to use Hail, Kia merely flew higher, but Firnen wasn't as cunning. He was enveloped entirely by green, but Formora didn't look to see how he fared.

Instead, she raced for Zygarde's chest. They were beginning to recover, and as the wailing mouth closed she threw a fastBall right at Zygarde's head. The mouth on the chest paused in its closing, flinching at the unexpected blow as their Safeguard began to fade. Formora reached them, shoving her hand in front of her as the Safeguard ended and encased the entire chest—cavity and all—in Ice Beam.

Zygarde froze, literally. They stood still like a statue, their extremities twitching wildly but unable to move properly. The body's brains were frozen, so the body could not act.

"Hah, there we go," Formora coughed, stepping back and trying to get her racing heart back to a normal beat.

A deep humming noise came from Zygarde. She looked back just in time to see her ice be destroyed by a Core Enforcer. The beam disintegrated the ice instantly, firing off into the horizon and making a neat hole in one of the hills where the dungeon lay.

Zygarde screamed, an angry, guttural sound that left Formora's ears ringing long after the roar was gone. They stomped on the ground, sending up a massive wave of Land's Wrath that sent her reeling backwards. She fell to the ground, half-panting, half-moaning. She was reaching her limit, and Zygarde wasn't even halfway close to being defeated!

Truly, she had met her match. But she was _not_ going to give up. She scoffed as she painstakingly got to a sitting position. She knew Zygarde's weak point, and she had an idea she wanted to try…

She looked behind her, spotting Firnen's motionless body a little ways away. She turned, watching as Kia landed a Dragon Breath before being knocked out of the fight with a Core Enforcer.

Both her teammates were down, and she was close to joining them. But she stood, lurching towards Zygarde, swearing with every painful step.

" **Oh? What is this?"** Zygarde inquired, watching her amble towards them.

Formora continued forward, shakily bringing her knife out. She stared at Zygarde dead at the chest cavity, letting every ounce of hatred she had pour into that expression.

" **Haha! This is adorable! What can you do to us, little one?"** Zygarde cooed, allowing her to come close.

Formora raised her knife hand, groaning at the fresh agony that coursed through her. Her arm was shaky, waving this way and that. She was snatched up when she was within striking distance. She was brought again to Zygarde's chest, where they began to charge up a _massive_ Core Enforcer.

Her arms were pinned to her side, but her other hand was unencumbered by Zygarde's skin. Carefully, she aimed her hand at the cavity as the blue orb of energy grew to four feet in diameter. She knew she would not endure this one, so she made sure her aim was accurate, squeezed her eyes shut, and fired an Ice Beam.

The body froze as it began to register the attack, the Enforcer vanishing at once. Zygarde's grip loosened, and before they could fling her away she snaked her hand out, reaching deep inside the chest, and yanked out the orange Core with all her remaining strength.

* * *

Zygarde let out a piercing scream before stepping back and exploding into a firework of green light. Their Cells and the two mystery Cores were flung far and wide, back to the places they'd been monitoring. The warm, slippery, wiggling orange Core Formora had been holding was released as well, ripped out of her hand with an unstoppable force. Red and Blue fell to the ground, bouncing a few times before coming to a standstill near Formora's feet. The latter was too busy scarfing down an Oran Berry to notice.

"Agh…" Red moaned.

"Oogh…" Blue agreed.

After a moment, the two of them managed to right themselves into a sitting position.

"You…are certainly something," Red began, shaking her head. "To be able to remove one of our vital Cores from our body…"

A hungry grin slid across Formora's face as her pains and bruises faded away. "Oh, you two haven't seen _anything_ yet. You'll find out what exactly I'm capable once you're brought to our base."

"Indeed, I suppose we shall," Blue sighed, rolling over into the sun.

Red joined her. "I imagine it is folly to plead for our lives?"

Her smile widened until her cheeks begged for mercy. "It is, but if you scream nice and loud enough I may hasten your deaths. Maybe."

"I thought so," both of them chorused, closing their eyes as they basked in the sun's warmth. Formora allowed them to soak in the rays—it would be one of their last memories of the overworld. The thought amused her.

After a moment, enough was enough. "Time to go~"

"Wait," Red said, opening her eye and looking at Formora.

"A moment," Blue continued, mirroring Red.

"Do you know about us Cores?" they asked together, getting to their feet.

"Does it matter? I'm going to figure out how your organs work here in a moment," Formora laughed darkly, brandishing her knife and stalking towards them. Kia and Firnen flanked her on both sides, spreading out to surround the two Cores.

"Perhaps. But do you know how we gain energy?" the Cores continued, standing next to each other. "We photosynthesize."

Formora's eyes widened in realization, but just as she started to move the Cores let out their call. It was a shorter, weaker version than the first one, but still just as potent. As Formora raced towards them, their Cells began to fly through the air, zooming for Red and Blue.

When she was almost upon them, a bright flash of light surrounded the Cores, so bright Formora was forced to close her eyes. Blindly, she dove, but grabbed fistfuls of only grass. She opened her eyes, finding a green and black canine-esque creature standing directly in front of her.

Zygarde growled, showing off her wickedly sharp teeth. Formora formed a Ball in her hand, not breaking her gaze with the legendary. Right as she went to chuck it, Zygarde sprang back. She wasn't completely healed; she stumbled upon landing but righted herself, shaking her head.

"We must go. Tell Giratina we give our _fondest_ regards," she wheezed, back in her old voice.

"CATCH THEM!" Formora roared, throwing the Shadow Ball

Zygarde barked, spitting out a hail of blinding green arrows down upon Formora. She held an arm over her head, wincing as each arrow found its mark. Her Shadow Ball was effortlessly disintegrated by the storm.

Before she could try again, Zygarde shot another volley—this time covering a wider arc. Formora threw her hands into the air, blasting the deadly projectiles above her with Blizzard. The arrows froze, and fell harmlessly to the ground with a clatter. Behind her, her teammates also did their best to shield themselves.

Zygarde was long gone by then.

Formora fell to the ground, her vision blurring until all she could see was where Zygarde had disappeared in the shrubbery. She opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to find the strength. She felt numb, hollow. She was just a statue, staring at nothing.

Vaguely, she heard her teammates come towards her.

 _I don't know why you thought it would be any different from any other fight you've had,_ her father chuckled, fresh and clear in her mind like a lightning bolt at night.

She jumped at his words, and when Firnen went to lay a comforting hand on her arm she acted instantly without thinking, grabbing his wrist and throwing him over her shoulder and onto his back.

" _WHAT THE HELL WAS_ THAT _?!"_ she roared, turning into a raging inferno. " _WELL?!"_

"Ah—seems Zygarde has another form aside from 0, 50, and 100%...?" Kia squeaked.

Formora rounded on him, yanking him by his wing so he was millimeters away from her face.

"Yes, it 'seems so'. And just why didn't either of you bozos TELL ME?!"

"We didn't know! I swear!" Firnen stuttered, getting to his knees.

"Reealllly? All that time working with _Yveltal_ , who happens to be Zygarde's _brother_ , and you lie to my face and say you didn't know?!" she hissed, throwing Kia at Firnen and bringing out her knife.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't leave your cut-to-ribbons'd bodies at the bottom of this lake," she growled through clenched teeth as she stalked towards them.

"You want Ezra to be you first kill?" "Our Lord didn't tell you either."

Formora and Firnen stopped, shocked at Kia's words. He seemed surprised himself, as he quickly tried to backpedal.

"Ah, what I mean is—um…"

"He didn't, did he," Formora said quietly, turning away from the sorry pair of dragons. "Hm."

Giratina never told her about Zygarde's secrets, though he knew she'd fought her in the past. Yveltal too never warned her, or her teammates if they were to be believed.

Why?

The answers that came to her were troubling, to say the least.

"Alright," she said, clapping her hands once and turning to her team. "You can live—for now. But just know, I am _**this**_ close to changing my mind. Quit looking like Ezra and get going!"

* * *

"How were we supposed to know Zygarde had so many forms? We've _only_ ever heard of her 50% one," Kia was attempting to get back on her good side as she stalked down the halls if the base, her hands clenched in fists firmly at her side as she gnashed her teeth.

She chucked a Shadow Ball at him. It missed, but he shut up and hung back far behind her alongside Firnen.

Her fingers twitched, _begging_ to wrap themselves around someone's neck. No one was nearby save her teammates. She was considering the merits of assaulting one or both of them here in the base when a voice volunteered itself.

She looked up ahead, spotting Bonsly lost deep in thought.

"Plangent? No, that was yesterday's…Jannock? No, already know that one…" he was mumbling to himself.

"What are you doing?" she asked, snaking out a hand to grab his shoulder.

"U-um, I'm trying to think of a word for my personal 'word of the day'," he squeaked, seeing the look in her eye.

"How about 'defenestration'?" she offered, taking hold of his other shoulder.

His muscles went tense underneath her tight grasp. "U-um, yes, that's a perfect word. Wh-what does it mean?"

" _ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU!"_ Formora roared, hoisting him high above her head and chucking him at the nearest window.

The window shattered instantly, taking Bonsly and a multitude of shards down the mountain with him. His screams were abruptly cut short by a dull _thud._ She laughed, clapping her hands, radiating in the pure bliss that coursed through her.

"Ahhh, that's just what I needed," she giggled, looking for more people to teach a new word to. This feeling could not, _must not_ end-!

Unfortunately, there were none besides Kia and Firnen. They stared at her, mouths agape in horror.

"Just… _why?!"_ Firnen whispered as Kia bolted for the front door.

She frowned. "You'd better follow Kia unless you want to end up like Bonsly."

He left.

* * *

The awards ceremony couldn't come any faster. Formora peeked inside the cafeteria, finding it mostly deserted, except for Kyurem, who was happily raiding the punch bowl.

Over the course of the day, the residents had been placing their votes in boxes hung outside the cafeteria. A couple of boxes were so full the slots themselves were jammed.

"Need some help?, she smiled to the Pokemon who were in charge of counting votes. Her smile was kind, but there was a looming threat in her eyes that the two were intelligent enough to register. One opened his mouth to decline, but at Formora's subsequent grin he backed off, nodding his assent.

She took the two boxes she needed and once the two had left scurried into the storage closet. Amidst the mops and racks of chemicals were papers and pens she'd hidden last night. She opened up the boxes, throwing most of the votes that weren't for two certain Pokemon into one of the tubs of muriatic acid. The scraps of paper fizzled and dissolved almost instantly upon contact with the powerful substance. Formora then spent the next five minutes writing down the special candidates' names in different writing styles on the blank paper. She wrote with her right, with her left, shakily, slowly and steadily, in her best attempt at cursive—as different from her natural handwriting as she could. Once she was sure the boxes were believably stuffed, she replaced the tops and went back to the stage area, setting them down with the others.

The stage was still mostly empty, save for the vote counters and Gothorita, who was busy setting up the sound system. A peek into the audience showed only a few earlybirds. Formora ducked back into the storage closet, grabbing two buckets of paint.

She phased into the cafeteria, behind the backdrop curtain. Floating towards the top of the set-up, to where the spotlights were hung, she phased in so that the handle could be suspended by the rods holding the lights. With everything set up, all she needed to do was wait here.

* * *

At last, it was time to begin. Gothorita began by thanking everyone for attending, why this event was going on, blah blah blah. Formora sat impatiently through the unimportant awards and shout-outs, amusing herself by cracking open the lids, until finally it was time for the big event.

"Our next award is Musically Gifted! We have a lot of musicians here at the base, all of them _a-may-zing_ , but there's one Pokemon who is a cut above the rest! Why, I'm sure they could even play in their sleep! Our nominees are: Wartortle! Leafeon! Luxio! Cate! Vanilluxe! And finally, Houndour!" Gothorita read off.

"Our winner is….Cate! Congratulations!"

The camera panned over to the surprised Espurr, who was sitting in the back next to Kia and her bandmates. Upon seeing all the cheers and attention she was getting, her entire face turned red and she covered herself with one of Kia's wings. He patted her on the back reassuringly, whispering something to her.

"Haha, don't worry Cate, we'll give you your award after the show's over. Let's leave her be and move on to our final event: Most Handsome! Our people—especially the ladies—have voted; who will be known throughout the land as the most stylish debonair? Our nominees: Blastoise! Azumarill! Sliggoo! Totodile! Aaannnnnnd Marvel!"

Loud cheers and whistles—most of them feminine—rose from the crowd as Gothorita opened up the envelope.

"Marvel!"

The crowd erupted into an onslaught of cheers. The camera panned to an astonished Marvel, whose face then broke into a wide, confident grin as he sauntered his way up to the stage.

"My fellow Pokemon, I thank you. I thank you for this award, which I so _obviously_ earned…"

As Marvel was making his acceptance speech, Formora tipped over the bucket of paint. The liquid cascaded down through the air, until it sloshed all over Marvel, bathing him and most of the surrounding stage (even a few of the audience members were spattered) in a bright fire engine red. Everyone's jaw was agape, too stunned to speak or even move.

Formora scowled. It wasn't enough, she _needed_ pain. She phased the bucket out from underneath the rail, phased in, then chucked it at Marvel. It hit his head with a loud _ding,_ causing him to fall to the ground immediately. Gothorita looked up, but Formora was already gone, phased back into the storage closet, still upset.

Throwing the bucket had helped. But it still wasn't enough. She needed _more_. Her idea from this morning came to her, and she silently crept back up to her room, only to find her target nowhere to be found. She must have gone to the event.

"There you go again, standing there wondering why you can't do anything right. Just look at you: alone, pitiful, and losing every fight you start. Why are you still trying? Haven't you realized you're never going to amount to anything?"

She slowly raised her head towards the impossible voice that was inside her room. Her eyes went as wide as saucers.

There, leaning against the wall next to her vanity, was her father, in the flesh, the ever-familiar disdainful scowl on his face. She took a step back, shaking her head slowly. This was impossible-!

"You'll never escape where you came from. Inside you're still that little girl whom no one cared about," he continued, brushing his hair out of his face.

Her heart turned into a cold, hard rock as her vision blurred with tears.

"See? You're crying. The fearful, powerful Champion, reduced to tears just by some mean words," he taunted.

She pulled out her knife, and in mere milliseconds was upon her father, stabbing and stabbing, crying and stabbing and crying and crying and crying…

She plunged her knife deep into her father's face over and over, using both hands. All she could think about was killing this man, this person who had tormented her for so many years. But no matter how many times she raised and lowered her arms, no blood appeared on his body. No wounds, no marks, nothing. He stood there, silently, disdainfully.

Mockingly.

She closed her eyes and quickened her frantic punctures until she lost all awareness.

* * *

The next thing she knew, she was standing in her room, holding her knife, and her arms were so _incredibly, incredibly_ on fire. She looked around, confused as to why she was here, why her arms hurt so much, and…why were there holes in her wall?

She went over to inspect them, and found they matched her knife. It came back to her now. Her father was there—here, in this world! There was no sign of him, so he must have left soon after her mind had gone blank.

She choked out a laugh, wiping at her stinging eyes even though moving her hand sent fresh needles of pain through her.

"Well, you wanted pain, huh? Guess you got it," she said quietly to herself, flopping backward onto her couch.

Just then, something brushed up against the edges of her mind. It was another conscience, and she knew just whose it was.

 _WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!_ She roared mentally, standing straight up.

She knew that mind. She knew that unique power that emanated from the other being. She'd gotten a taste of it herself once, long ago atop Celestial Spire.

Arceus retreated immediately.

What was It doing in her head? Wasn't It dying? How did It still have the strength?!

The answer was perfectly clear. It wanted to spy on her. It wanted to relay to Ezra that she was weak, that she could actually _die_ to the sniveling little candle. She balled her hands into fists, clenching so tight her nails broke her skin, little beads of blood staining her fingertips.

With a heavy breath she wiped furiously at her tears and grabbed her Bypass Stone. Forcing her face to remain stoic and threatening, she set off for the one place that always made her feel better, choking down the sobs that still wracked her body.

* * *

 **Why did I plan so many boss battles in a row? Past Me really gets on my nerves sometimes T_T**

 **The next chapter shall include: Fire, ice, and a blossoming companionship.**


End file.
